Relationships make me chicken!

By Lisa Huddleston

Okay–tomorrow is the big day we finally get our first little chicks! Ameraucanas from Watertown. I am really excited, but also nervous about this new venture. Some people have told me how easy and care-free chickens are. Others are talking about “paste up” (ew!) and pecking orders and (gasp!) roosters. I probably have no idea what I’m getting myself into, but I’m sure we (yes, WE) will learn what we need to learn along the way.

Speaking of learning along the way, I have learned something really important in my education courses this semester. I am still a homeschooler! I may not have kids living at home any longer, but institutional school just isn’t for me. So much time wasted doing things that just come naturally at home. Oh well … I know homeschooling isn’t for everyone, but it sure was and is for me! Tonight’s class reminded me who I am, and for that I am grateful. Maybe not grateful enough to make the time and money worth it, but grateful still. (Hmmm, maybe it is worth it after all.)

Back to the chickens, it’ll be interesting to see how chicken relationships compare to human ones. I mean do we humans jockey for power positions all the time, comparing ourselves and pecking at each others’ weak spots in order to make ourselves come out on top? Probably so. At least that seems to be the case. Either way, I bet I’ll learn a lot. Books give me good information, but I bet the real deal will be even more enlightening.

What the cluck?

And, speaking of the real deal, relationships in the human realm are really difficult. I think I may do better as a chicken. I’d just peck a few eyes out every once in a while and move on. As a human, and a Christian human at that, I have to be compassionate and nice. Empathy is simply going to be the death of me! Really.

Okay. Long ADD day. Hope you were able to ride that train! And now I am trying to let go of it all–school, relationships, misconceptions, judgments, worries, and all–so that I’ll be able to sleep tonight. Deep breath in, and blow it all out.  Let. It. Go.

Here chicky, chicky, chicky …