he gave them the heebie jeebies

that's my bird

A copy of this postcard hangs in my bathroom. it’s rough out there. it’s rough in here. I’ve been paying way too many visits to WITMOLT, or I guess I should say getting caught there.

And I love this bird. He really sends me. The first time I saw this postcard (which is part of a collection called ‘troubled birds’ fyi) I cracked up and felt the elation and relief of recognition.

This bird reminds me that it is okay to not be adjusted, that there is more to life than composure. He says all this with one beady little eye and a vague yet endearing sense of desperation.

Many people, as you may know, do not want heebie jeebies (which is to say do not want to acknowledge the heebie jeebies they already feel, to be reminded of them….).

I do not know if giving heebie jeebies is better than giving nothing, but I prefer it. Heebie jeebies indicate that someone is still in there (aka my/your/ the bird’s body) noticing how unnerving it is to be alive and trying to pay attention.