Overwatch

There's always something delightful in watching crows. There's a playfulness, a cattiness, an embodied joie de vivre in their activity. That you can find them almost anywhere along the roadsides, byways, and shores is a testament to their proliferation and success as a species. Beyond all that, however, they're just fun to have around. Seeing them on the ridgeline of a boat shed nearby necessitated this shot.

We all have keen observers in our lives, the folks we've occasion to run into that sit on the rooftops and watch as we go about our business. Some of them are active in our lives, calling out as they see us making changes for good or ill, warning or encouraging us as need arises. Alternatively, others are more passive, only chirping as unction moves them or they're otherwise compelled. Regardless of their motivation, they provide a type of overwatch for us.

We all have stories of their impact on our lives. The "I always knew they were bad for you..." consolations after a particularly messy breakup or divorce; the "Are you sure you want to live there?" questioning after a considerably hard-fought decision making process; so on, so forth.

Much of the time, we rebel against the idea of outside input in our decision making process. It's a highly personal process and the emotional investiture we make drags all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength into it. We find ourselves pulled in by the gravity of our situations, spending cycles of precious time trying to reason our way in or out of pending decisions. It's a delicate balance, this.

An entire cottage industry has sprung up around this resistance, ironically enough, oriented towards providing "insight" and "encouragement" based on life circumstances. Just like crows, they can be cacophonous voices, adding their keening into already crowded headspace. We pay them to listen, to observe, to query, and, when they've quantified enough of our story, they call out directions, ideas, contemplations.

I suppose finding your balance, from the ridgeline choir to the feet on gravel roads yet to be traveled, is a constant act of volition. It's tuning in the voices that need to be heard, exorcising the people, places, and things that have grown like weeds in your soul's garden, and finding that little place of humility that accepts that sometimes those in overwatch might actually have a good perspective.

Today, as with any other day, the challenge is to listen and learn. It's a chance to watch for the crows on the ridgeline, to listen to their chatter, and hopefully understand a bit more about their role in your life. Take the chance on bringing people in, letting them observe, mentor, guide your steps a bit more or, conversely, letting yourself be the same for others. We all need this kind of direction and guidance, regardless of how strong we think we are.

May it ever be so.

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