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Confused, I looked around for the noise. A familiar sound interrupted my thoughts as I walked along the Airpark Riverway path. The obnoxious racket began again helping me pinpoint its source, and there he was. Squinting upward in the bright sunshine, I thought the bird was a baby woodpecker because of its size and loud pecking. When I got home and looked at the photo I'd taken, it was a fine Northern Flicker. The first one I've ever seen.
The obnoxious sound I heard was that bird pecking repeatedly on a metal lamppost. Why would they do that? I wondered. They aren't pecking for food, obviously. Turns out, flickers are "drumming", a specific practice they used to mark their territory and attract mates. Makes sense. It certainly attracted my attention.
My attention turned to another thought. Flickers figured out that metal posts amplify their pecking sounds more than trees do. How did they figure it out? I mused. A flicker had to discover something metal, peck on it, and reap favourable results to continue the behaviour. Other flickers had to witness it, try it for themselves, and get the same beneficial outcome. The method proved effective, and soon all the flickers were doing it.
The loud drumming communicates their claim to a territory and sometimes attracts another male. They engage in a territorial dance by staring each other down, bobbing their heads from side to side, and hollering until one retreats. Hmmm... could we not learn better ways to settle disputes, too? I thought about recent political events. The leader of our southern neighbour would certainly forgo any ritualistic or reasonable dispute resolution in favor of bullying tactics to settle territorial disagreements.
The flicker's message to humanity could be about many issues: resilience, embracing change, environmental degradation. The ability to adapt to new situations is a relevant topic for our current circumstances. However, the idea of simply adapting would provoke a negative reaction from Canadians, who fiercely oppose becoming subservient to our powerful neighbour. No! I do not want to be a part of that country. We're different. I shuddered as the thought blew through my mind. Straightening my back, I puffed out my chest just a little. I'm proud to be a Canadian. We are resourceful people. By digging deep into our collective innovative and creative spirit, we can build a better outcome for our country. Reason alone will not solve any dispute between us if expansionism is one of the party's agenda. I shuddered again as a biting wind whipped around me, sending shivers down my spine.
Hailey Brophy's article, "9 Spiritual Meanings When You See A Northern Flicker" (Flicker Symbolism & Meaning (+Totem, Spirit & Omens)) resonated with me and revealed a message.
An appearance from a flicker may also indicate that you have a creative spirit. Flickers are musical animals. Their drumming and singing fill the landscape signaling their arrival throughout their migrations. A visit from a flicker may mean that there is a creative side of you that you need to invest in exploring. The flicker is a reminder to express oneself and be authentic.
The message exposed a painful memory, the kind that unfinished business and unresolved feelings bring. Mom and Dad were school teachers and taught music before switching careers to ministry. My father became a preacher around the time he and my mother were married and I was born nine months to the day later. He felt a deep responsibility for his churches' flock and encouraged me to play the flute saying I had the perfect embouchure for it. It was fitting to celebrate his life after he died by honoring him for his ministry and for the encouragement and influence he had in my life through music.
Then I was remembering how I played in churches for years, usually at my father's request. He understood that the music I played wasn't just sound; it was a raw, emotional landscape reflecting my inner world. My tribute to him at his funeral was from Handel's Messiah called "He Shall Feed His Flock". A Recitative is sung by the mezzo-soprano preceding the duet sung by the Mezzo-soprano and soprano. I still tear up when I hear this lyrical music and its tender message:
Recitative: “Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing.” (Isaiah 35, vv.5–6)
Duet: “He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: and he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young. (Isaiah 40, v.11); “Come unto him, all ye that labour, come unto him, that are heavy laden, and he will give you rest. Take his yoke upon you, and learn of him; for he is meek and lowly of heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” (Matthew 11, vv.28–29)
The painful memory revealed itself. I did the math and realized I played my flute, teaching and performing, for almost forty years. The last time I picked up my flute was at my father's funeral. However, playing a tribute to my father had unintended consequences; my sisters were livid and subsequently cut me out of their lives. I wasn't sure why they were so angry, but the ensuing pain of losing my whole family made playing my flute unbearable. I sold it and launched a new career.
Just as flute playing was a bridge between my inner emotions and the outer world, so is music, a bridge from my outer world to my soul. As we delve individually into the healing inner world of the soul, hope will grow. Hope for our country will grow, too, and through our pain, perhaps we can hear a better way, a more Canadian way, to move forward together.
For such a small bird, the flicker had given me a profound personal insight. Its message was timely and one I couldn't ignore: explore the pain, hear the message you need to hear, and rekindle the music inside. My Dad would like that, I thought suddenly.
Music's healing notes, like a soothing balm to the soul, suggest that the flicker's message to all of us is to confront our collective inner wounds and begin playing a new song, a song of healing and hope. A whimsical thought bounced into my heart, Maybe another flute will find its way to me.
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