The other day I was late for work because of dueling roosters. There is this teenage rooster who is learning to crow and Papa rooster who is modeling proper obnoxious rooster behavior. Teen Rooster makes this awful noise: Ca-ah-awckh-uh-ack. Sounds like a chicken with smoker’s voice choking on a corn kernel. Then Papa rooster says “No, boy, do it like this: COCKADOODLEDOOO!” Ca-ah-awckh-uh-ack. COCKADOODLEDOOO! Ca-ah-awckh-uh-ack. And so on, you get the idea. Teen Rooster did not. This crow lesson was conducted at 4:30 a.m. Eventually, I put my ear plugs in. Then I slept through my alarm clock. Duhh.
Hallelujah, it rained this weekend! No crow lessons in the rain! Two good nights' sleep! Then I think, Wow - that is a selfish thought. Here I am warm and dry in my little brick cottage enjoying the soothing sound of rain on the roof and no crowing, while the tin shacks of the shanty towns do not stop the wind and rain. The children are cold and wet. It is hard to start a fire in the rain, which is their only source of warmth and means of cooking.
When it is raining, I look out the window and see the sheep and chickens huddling under a tin roof canopy, trying to get out of the wind and rain. In my mind’s eye, I see the children doing the same thing. Stop rain, stop! Now when I am awakened by roosters crowing, instead of selfish thoughts of lost sleep, I will think, “Yes! A child is warmer right now because that rooster is crowing!”
Let the roosters crow….
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