Nests on the ground

I was talking to my friend John last night, aka Twin guy. John is the guy with the 11 year old twins that I met on line a few months ago.  Its always fun to talk to him because he is  in his own words “a good ole country boy”. He lives in a small town in Western Oklahoma of about 300 and has lived there all his life.  Many of our conversations are about the differences in our lives.  I have never lived anywhere smaller than Kingfisher (which is about 3000 people )   My graduating class from Stillwater High School had over 200 people, his had 12.  He has taken to calling me Citygirl because he has a lot of country sayings that I always tease him about.  He’ll pause sometimes and say, know what that means Citygirl?   And I usually say, nope I’m gonna have to google  that one.  Which makes him laugh.    

Last night he was telling me about his job managing a peanut plant in Anadarko. The plant closed down a few years ago and now he works at a power plant of some sort.  I learned a lot last night about government subsidies for peanut farmers and allotments and peanut farming.  John said that if I ate a payday candybar anytime before 2005 that he was directly involved with it.  I thought that was funny. Apparently all the peanuts used on Payday candybars until 2005 when the plant moved to Texas were from the Anadarko plant and local Anadarko peanut farms.  If that’s ever a question on Jeopardy you’ll have the answer now.  LOL

Ok, so to my point.  The “country phrase” that he used last night which made absolutely no sense to me and that I had never heard was when he said that his Job at the Peanut Plant was “"A bird’s nest on the ground”.

I questioned what that meant. My first thought was a birds nest on the ground wouldn’t be a good thing because then it would be more accessible to animals that might get the eggs, like dogs for example.  John said I was overthinking it.  That a birds nest on the ground is a good thing.  Its an easy thing. It means that you kinda get something handed to you. A windfall, a stroke of good luck. He said he remember his grandpa saying that when he was a kid.  I was thinking about the bird who needed the nest protected.  When in fact, the lucky one is the cat or the animal that comes across the nest on the ground, thus not having to work very hard for their meal.

So, I started thinking about things in my own life that might have been “nests on the ground” even though as a Citygirl, I would have referred to them as lucky breaks….or as a Christian.. blessings.  I’ve had lots and lots of those.   Life bonuses.   One has been reconnecting with old friends on facebook.  Technology then to me is a nest on the ground. I’ve found old friends, family members that I hadn’t talked to or thought about in years, and in one case a 2^nd chance with someone I cared deeply for long ago but had lost touch with for over 35 years! 

And sometimes things that are bad situations in your life can turn out to be some of the biggest nests on the ground.  The time I was laid off at work.  Turned out to be a blessing though I didn’t think so at the time…because the time off allowed me to spend the last 8 weeks of my mom’s life with her…..which led me to an appreciation and understanding of what hospice was…which led me to seek out a job in hospice…which led me to my current job which like John’s peanut plant job I consider to be a nest on the ground.  I love what I do, I love the people I work with and the patients we serve.  What a joy it is to earn a living doing something that makes difference.   A real nest on the ground.

Meeting Matt the Magician (he’s also a comedian )  several years ago on Eharmony turned out to be a nest on the ground situation. Because even though we didn’t end up together long term, laughing with him and at him and the fact that he (a comedian) thought I was so funny led me to believe that I really was funny  which led me to start thinking about being a comedian, which led me to try my hand at stand up , which led me to the most fulfilling hobby I have ever had. And because of facebook, we are now “friends” again.  Another nest on the ground moment.

Sometimes life can get a little stressful.  Sometimes we all need to find a nest on the ground.  Being the eternal optimist that I am, I would say that even the bad stuff that happens to us can be the catalyst for a nest on the ground moment.  It may take a little effort but I have always found that once I push through the pain, the sorrow, the hurt, the disapointment I can usually find  something positive about the situation, even if its just a lesson learned that will prevent a repeat performance.

Can’t wait to talk to him again and see what expression that I haven’t ever heard comes out of it. One of my best friends at work is from a small town.  Between her and John I am getting educated on all sorts of things that I never would have known.  Double cousins, laying hens, cur dogs for example.  Had no idea what those things were.  Now I do. 

Have to be careful though how you use this knowledge.  Talking to an online guy aka (the Tulsa guy) the other night about his unusual last name, he told me it was a mixture of Scotch, Irish, French, Italian, German….(actually I can’t remember what all he said but there was a bunch of countries he mentioned).   So I said (and immediately regretted) Kinda like a Cur dog. 

Dead silence.  Then he laughed.  Kinda he said.  Though I have never been called that before.  I was pretty embarrassed.  Went on to explain that I just meant that since a Cur dog is a dog that is a mixture of lots of breeds that when he was naming off all those nationalities that was just what popped into my head.  Good thing he has a sense of humor…..though come to think of it I haven’t heard from him since. LOL   Probably need to censor myself a little! 

I could go on but since I’m busier than a "one eyed cat watching 2 mouseholes " (that means really busy!) I need to end this.

By the way John, you are the cat’s meow.  Googled meaning: Something or someone  considered to be outstanding.  Getting to know you has been a  nest on the ground.