Friends with Some Turkeys

I am developing a friendship with a flock of wild turkeys as I drive into my office. I have seen them almost daily in a small pasture surrounded by a grove of scrub trees. Oh they probably have not seen me. If they have, I am just another in a series of endless cars that create noise in their silent world. But they don't seem to care. They just continue snapping up those last few bugs that dare to defy the frosty October mornings. The other morning, I was treated to "Tom" strutting his stuff before his lady friends. I think he was trying to impress them, but they seemed to pay no attention. I have to say that I miss my turkey-friends on those morning when my pathway takes me another direction, or they stay hidden among the scrub trees.

Now I know what you are thinking: Where is Max going with this bit on turkeys? Okay, it is a fair question. And maybe I am not sure myself where it is going. But I am reminded that it was Benjamin Franklin who strongly suggested that the national bird for the United States be...yes, you guessed it...the wild turkey. We all know the turkey lost out to the bald eagle. And, maybe it was a deserving loss. But the more I read about wild turkeys the more respect I have for them. Did you know that they are among the most intelligent of birds? I know that seems like a contradiction when you look at them. That head...could God have made anything more ugly than the head of a turkey? When many other species of birds were hunted to extinction...the turkey survived. That is a sure sign of intelligence.

I know there is something majestic about an eagle. Seeing one swoop down upon the waters of a lake and grab a large walleye literally can take one's breath away. And I know that they can soar, almost unimpeded, in the high elevations. Turkeys can't catch fish...I am not even sure they enjoy fish. And turkeys can't fly very far. But a wild turkey has a sense of pride about it. It is quick to defend its territory, almost fearlessly.

So I got to thinking...perhaps old Ben was right in his opinion that America should have a turkey as its symbol. There is a sense of pride we have as Americans. And there is a tenacity we exhibit when our territory is threatened. So, the next time someone says that "I am a turkey," perhaps I will respond with a "thank you."