Unintended Consequences, black cherries and a bird

[oneighty]

In the spring I deliver newspapers door to door in my village. I have one hundred twenty five customers. One of my favorite customers is a very pleasant older woman. In her front yard is a black cherry tree loaded with fat juicy black cherries. "Eddie" she tells me "You can have all the cherries you want, bring your little friends." She is like that, a kind woman.

Come Christmas time the newspaper company issues a very popular calendar. The paper boys are given a calendar for each of their customers. Many of the customers give the paperboys a few coins in return, sort of a Christmas time present. My cherry tree lady gave me a bright shiny silver dollar. I net eleven dollars from my one hundred twenty five customers.

With my eleven dollars I buy a single shot twenty two caliber rifle.In the spring of the following year Carl and I are out in the woods. From my hip I raise my rifle, fire it in the general direction of a bird sitting in a tree. The bird fell to the ground. I pick the bird up from the ground. It is a red headed wood pecker. I stare in horror at what I have done. Blood soaks my hand.

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[JitterbugPerfume]

1. Ed

I just can not imagine you shooting a poor little woodpecker Remember Still life With Woodpecker? Good book huh?

[oneighty]

3. Tom Robins

Yes..Working on "Skinny Legs and All" now.

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[Droopy]

2. I had a similar experience as a boy

A friend and I had a couple of BB guns and we decided to go after some game instead of the usual target practice. It seemed like a good idea and it was exciting. I got a sparrow. You wouldn't think that a BB gun would be powerful enough to kill something but it was. It was one of the worst feelings that I've ever had. I wanted to take it back so bad.

[BlueJazz]

4. When I was about 9 years old and ...

...doing silly things that 9 year old boys do, I was out in my back yard one early Saturday morning, messing around.

I noticed a little Mockingbird that was walking around the yard,not 10 feet from me just doing his little "bird stuff"

For some adolescent reason I picked up a piece of brick that was leftover from my Dad's barbecue building and threw it at the little bird. A second later where once was a happy little creature
now lay a dead feathered thing.

I remember the feeling of somehow I had done a horrible, selfish thing. I had taken a little life for no other reason than to see how good my aim was.

I remember sitting in the grass next to the little bird with the early-morning sun glistening on it's feathers and with all the resolve that a 9 year-old can muster,
promising myself that I would never knowingly hurt another creature again.

The silly thing about it is 30 years later a tinge of guilt is still felt by me....

[oneighty]

5. A heavy burden indeed

We know that for sure don't we?

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[displacedtexan]

6. where do cherries ripen in the spring?

i only know summer cherry trees (early july sweets and late july tarts).

btw, your experience will make you a better person in the future.

[oneighty]

7. Could

well be summer for ripe cherries. Memories fade over time. That was about fifty eight years ago. I have learned much since then such as cherries ripening in summer. I do hope I improve in the future as you suggest but I do not have much future left! Thank you for teaching me.

Ed