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7 I The Best Online Education System in the world
THIS STORY IS FOR THE BIRDS….TOO
Kathlyn Q. Barrozo
Class of 1991, University of Santo Tomas
B.S. Medical Technology
Fight or flight….Have you ever seen a cornered bird before a hungry cat? It would hop this way and that,
hoping to find the perfect opening. The cat might look bigger than the puny bird, but the diminutive size of this
creature of flight serves it well. It can scurry to and fro and give that cat a chase. Then it can fly away, seeming
to mock the efforts of the cat.
Man is not equipped with organs of flight. We have been designed to stay on the ground, and planes only serve
to bring us to places we wish to go to and visit. But they are not extensions of ourselves which we can use
when we are cornered….unless we have a utility belt like Batman does. That would make us virtually invincible.
We have been designed to possess a fighting heart, like the bird. We have been fashioned to have a brain we
can use in times that we need to do so. Birds know how to use their wings and heart. We as higher forms of
beings should learn to use our fighting heart and significantly larger brains in times of adversity.
Are we not better than the birds of the air? That is what the Great Maker has promised. He has said that if He
takes care of the birds in the air and the fish in the sea, how much more He would take care of us who have
been made in his likeness and image! In the face of adversity, we must remember that promise, and hold on to
it for dear life. In the face of overwhelming troubles, remember that we have got family and true friends, gifts
from above. When all else fails, these very people will be there to show us the way, give us guidance. They will
stay to comfort us when all others have deserted us, they will hold on to us and grab our hand to hoist us to
the ledge. The precipice of life may be steep, but when we’ve got family and true friends by our side, we’ve
virtually got handholds on that ledge.
The journey we take in life may be fraught with adversity and unending challenges. The road we often take may
become winding, ragged, beset with troublesome thorns. Yet, we must never give up. Swim while there’s still
strength left in your limbs, strive harder till you find one silver lining, plod on till you find the way back to the
straight path. It’s normal to lose your bearings, it happens to everybody. But if you choose to stay where you
are, you’ll get run over. That’s not something you want to happen. So swim harder!
Questions for Discussion:
1. What advantage does a bird have over its predator?
2. If you were gifted with wings, how would you use them?
3. Do you genuinely believe that flight can sometimes be the wiser course of action? Explain your answer.
4. How do you handle adversity?
5. Do you instinctively know when to surrender and when to strive harder? How?