The Smallest Acts

Published on February 02, 2015

Freud once surmised that everything we do in life is based upon sexuality. All that we do he mused was entirely driven by sexual urges. I believe it is much more simplistic than that. I believe that all human action and interaction is based upon 11 muscles in the face. The muscles that make us smile. All activity and all endeavours in life have the desired end result of smiling, or at least the associated emotions that accompany a smile. This "smile" theory has been well tested over time and if you like, you can take the test. Think of any activity you have invested in during your life and think back as to whether your desired outcome was to smile or create a positive emotion. To pass an exam, to fall in love, to get married, have children, learn a new skill, travel the world or put snow tires on the car. The expectation of the end result was to create a positive outcome, hence the smile. Even those activities engaged in to avoid pain create the expectation of creating a positive outcome. One day while driving through the parking lot to pick up coffee I noticed a seagull hanging upside down from a light standard flapping its wings. It really was in distress. Driving closer I could see it's feet were wrapped in fine nylon meshing that had hooked onto the light standard. Being more than 20 feet in the air there was no way I could help to free it, so I went home and started calling the humane society and any other organization I could who might be able to help to free it. After hearing recording after recording or statements like, "I'm sorry sir, we don't assist wildlife" my frustration began to grow. Finally, I found a number and was able to speak to a person who dispatched a worker to free the bird. An hour or so later I drove through the parking lot and saw that in fact the bird was gone and with it the tangle of webbing that trapped it up there. I know it won't make the six o'clock news. I know it was not a major event and I know that it was what most would call "just a seagull". Here is what I know. Somewhere out there is a seagull perusing shopping market and fast food chain parking lots looking for the next French fry or discarded donut to get through the day. It won't know about all the phone calls that were made on it's behalf or the certain death it faced hanging upside down some 20 feet in the air, but I will. When I saw that the bird was free here's what I did. I smiled. It's true. Sometimes the smallest acts can make you feel the best. Have an excellent day.

Be well,

Randy Taylor