Like an Ostrich with its Head in the Sand

Remember when you were a small child and would cover your face with both hands so as not to be seen? Your parents would say things like "Where did he go?" or "Oh no! We can't see you anymore?" As a small child you thought covering your face not only kept you from seeing anyone but it also kept anyone from seeing you. You also thought covering your face kept you safe from harm. As you grew older reality took over and you soon understood that covering your face only kept you from seeing what was going on around you; you were not hidden from anyone but were still in plain sight. It was like the ostrich fabled to put its head in the sand to hide. (Another reality is that Ostriches don’t put their heads in the sand to hide. This was a myth attributed to the ancient author Pliny the elder who lived around A.D.23-79). Although the Ostrich does not put its head in the sand to hide it does attempt to be stealth by simply sitting on the ground. It is still the largest bird in the world and sitting on the ground even in the bushes does not do much to hide it. When you live in a nice town, a wonderful state or a free country you tend to ignore the politics around you that either enable these freedoms or inhibit them. Unfortunately, most people don’t get involved enough in their communities or their country because they are too busy living their lives and dealing with the day-to-day tasks necessary to maintain whatever measure of happiness or success they have attained. This is evident with the low voter turnout in the US at nearly every election whether local or national. How many of us are still hiding our faces with our hands or worse yet, putting our heads into the sand or just sitting on the ground to hide from reality or commitment? Most people quickly take their hands from their faces or pull their heads out of the ground when they discover that their personal liberties have been taken from them. Unfortunately, sometimes it is too late to do anything after the fact. The irony of the Ostrich is that it is not only the largest bird in the world but that it has the largest eyes and best vision among its kind. This means that if it stands tall, lifts its head high and opens its eyes wide it can see all around it at great distances and quickly discover any enemy far and wide that would do it harm. Perhaps there is nothing wrong with us being like the Ostrich as long as we utilize its most effective means of protection—its big eyes. Open your eyes and find out what is happening around you in your community, your state and your nation. Discover what you can do to protect your way of life, your liberty and happiness and then when you discover it go to the voting booth and cast a vote for the man or woman who sees things through your eyes!