Day 2

There is a mockingbird that likes to perch outside my bedroom door each morning and squawk mightily. This, despite that it’s 6 am and, due to the pandemic, I can sleep in. This bird does not care.
I noticed that on some mornings, I am grateful and happy to hear the bird.
Other mornings, I am annoyed and flirt with the idea of shooing it away.
Same bird. Same noise. Same time.
Different me.
This proverb has been in use since at least the mid 16th century. In 1545 William Turner used a version of it in his papist satire The Rescuing of Romish Fox:
“Byrdes of on kynde and color flok and flye allwayes together.”
Quentin Tarantino realized he needed to leave his flock as a young adult. He was working in a video store (remember those?) and enjoying the benefits of watching movies, which were his passion. His co-workers were also making minimum wage, but he knew he was the smartest one among them. This made him feel comfortable – for three years – where he admits he “lost all ambition.” And then he woke up. He didn’t want to be an elderly man working in a video store, talking about movies. He wanted to MAKE them. So he had to leave his flock.
And he did.