from the cruise, later
I am going to break my rule of chronology again today. I think this story is worth it.
It was a multi-national humanitarian effort Seine-side……..
On our next to the last day in Paris, George and I decided to take that long-promised but as yet undone boat cruise along the Seine. This is one of those things you always say you are going to do but the list of things you want and the ability to gaze along the Seine from so many other vantage points keeps pushing it down the list. Anyway, we vowed to do this on this day and off we went.
Tickets purchased and one boat just missed by less than a minute, we sat down on the benches for a little respite before the next boat left. The weather was fickle, one minute of sun, the next a tinge of bluster. Just as we sat, I noticed a pigeon walking along the platform. He/she was in distress, having a stick of about 6″ tied onto its foot by a piece of string of some sort.
Now, I am one of those people who absolutely can not stand to see an animal in distress (even most would say, one of the lowly pigeons of Paris) and so I immediately went into a state of panic. This bird was going to die if I didn’t help it and right away, I said to myself. Ugh, what to do?
My first instinct was to figure out how to grab the pigeon. I ran into the little souvenir store that was adjacent to our landing and asked the proprietor for a plastic bag and a pair of scissors. She was barely interested in my plight, sort of sniffed at me, and while she said her plastic bags were for her customers and I would have happily paid her for one, she turned it over, along with the scissors. Now, what was I going to do next? Unfortunately, George wanted no part in my rescue effort and so I resolved to go it alone.
My first few attempts to try to catch the bird were futile as it ran away from me in fear. I was somewhat reluctant to grab it, not knowing if it would become violent and attack. After a little while of trying to approach the bird, I reluctantly and sadly sat down and tried to convince myself that there really wasn’t anything I could do to help this poor bird. I stuck the plastic bag in my purse and returned the scissors to the proprietor. I sat down and tried to divert myself, once or twice again trying to approach the pigeon.
About 15 minutes later I noticed a little flurry off to my right. Someone else had taken up my plight and was trying to help the pigeon, too! I was heartened and ran to retrieve the scissors from the reluctant woman in the store again. To my absolute delight, I ran over and just as this brave (braver than me) man grabbed the pigeon out of mid-air I instantly handed over the plastic bag and, to one of the employees of the cruise line who had been recruited as the assistant surgeon, the scissors. Without any words exchanged, the brave tourist and the French woman (he was Asian, the cruise employee was French) went to work (none of us was capable of speaking in the same language). The triage effort went on for about 20 minutes or so as they worked to remove the string from what appeared to be a significantly atrophied toe on the afflicted foot of the pigeon. Many people from his group stood and photographed the incident and I watched, amazed as this man, who I surmised was a doctor, such was his skill and instinct in handling the bird, through a series of nods, instructed the cruise line employee how and where to try and cut off the string.
When he was satisfied that the work had been done adequately, he turned and released the pigeon into the air. It flew up and everyone clapped and cheered. Many from his group had photographed the procedure. I was frozen with emotion and did not even reach for my camera. The pigeon had been given a new lease on life. I was elated and so very impressed at how these people cared about this little pigeon as I had. The man and I shared a quick glance and smile between us. Again, no words were exchanged, just a shared caring. Soon after we all boarded the boat – hundreds of people. As everyone moved along to find their seat, the man found my gaze and gave me a little wave and smile. It struck me how three people from three continents had silently come together in this humanitarian effort. No language sharing was necessary, just the impulse to help this little creature, one that most people wouldn’t even have given a second thought to.
This 20 minutes or so left me heartened with hope for this world. I will work to remember that man’s face and his act of kindness.
