Springing forward an art

By James Grob
OTTUMWA COURIER (OTTUMWA, Iowa)

Tue, May 13 2008

— My wife spotted a robin on our deck this week. He was bright and fat and proud.
He wasn’t doing any singing, as far as I could tell, and he didn’t stick around long enough for me to find out if he was taking any requests.
In the Midwest, the first robin sighting of the year is often recognized as a “harbinger.” This is not a word that is a part of my day-to-day vocabulary, so I’m not exactly sure what it means.
I guess I’ve always assumed that harbinger means a sign of things to come. I know what an “omen” is, mostly because of those nasty movies about the end of the world. I guess a harbinger is like a good omen. A robin sighting is an indication that warm, spring weather is approaching, and that a long, cold winter is finally coming to an end.
Late singer Bob Marley had a song called “Three Little Birds.” I’m a huge fan of Marley’s music and message. The three little birds on the record greet Marley at his doorstep with their “sweet, sweet song” to tell him not to worry and to let him know that “Every little thing is gonna be all right.”
This is the kind of reassurance that we all need from time to time — especially after a long, cold winter.
First it was the bitter temperatures, then the ice, snow, sleet and freezing rain. Then came the mud, which doesn’t seem to be going away any time soon. Back yards are filled with ugly dead branches.
Of course, with all of that comes sickeningly high utility bills, horrible road conditions and damaged vehicles. All this creates larger economic problems for individuals, who haven’t been helped by the disgustingly high price of gasoline that shoots the price of everything else up. Tie all this together with gray skies, bitter winds and gloomy afternoons, and you have a twisted knot of bad feelings.
A lot of folks I see when I’m out and about seem sad. Or angry. Or maybe just a little melancholy. A few of them seem depressed, or even a little bit desperate. I worry about some of them.
I know full well that a silly robin sighting or a syrupy old reggae tune won’t cure any of these ills. When you’re sad, angry, depressed or desperate, you could give a rat’s backside about pretty birds or sweet songs.
But I’m writing about the robin sighting and the Marley song anyway, because they’re harbingers of spring — and to me spring’s arrival means a small step away from all in the world that is sad, dark, cold and ugly.
I know it’s a cliché to say that spring represents new life and new beginnings, and I realize that if you’re feeling sad or angry, you don’t want to hear that cliché again.
But there’s another cliché that’s often repeated in the Midwest: If you don’t like the weather here, stick around for a few minutes, because it’s certain to change.
Hold on for another day. They’ll get the roads fixed. The mud will dry. The economy will eventually get better — and hopefully, so will your own economic situation. Gray skies will turn blue, brown grass will turn green and the wind will turn warm.
We’re all going to make it, somehow.
In the meantime, give your neighbor a hearty hello and see if he or she needs some help. Smile and wave at the other drivers, who are having just as much trouble navigating the broken roads as you are. See if you can make that cute kid at the checkout counter laugh.
Surprise a stranger with a wink and a nod. Surprise an acquaintance with a handshake. Surprise a friend with a hug — and make it a good one.
Let them all know that every little thing is gonna be all right.
I’ll be pulling for you. We’re all in this together.

James Grob writes for Ottumwa (Iowa) Courier. He an be contacted at sports@ottumwacourier.com.

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