There is evidence of a dead deer near the end of my driveway on County Road 7 in Grand Marais. I fortunately can’t see the deer carcass, but there is a black smudge left behind by the tires of someone braking really hard. There are splintered pieces of plastic, white and red, scattered about on the pavement. There is a gathering of black birds—I don’t know if they are ravens or crows—in the birch trees. And with them, a bald eagle.
The eagle has been hanging out for a few days. Just about everyone in my family saw it before I did. They excitedly reported that the huge bird soared over them as they turned into the driveway.
I watched, thinking I could get a nice eagle picture. Although I was doubtful. I didn’t want a photo of an eagle hanging out with common crows and seagulls, dining on carrion at the end of my driveway. I didn’t want to catch an eagle overhead with deer guts in its beak. An uninspiring sight to say the least.
I guess I have romanticized our national bird. I like to think of it sailing over the water, snatching a salmon or trout in its talons for its dinner. The noble eagle on our currency is ever vigilant, guarding our nation— I never imagine the eagle, the icon of liberty and freedom, as a scavenger.
This morning, as I was pulling out of the driveway, a shadow fell over my windshield. I looked up and saw the effortless circling of the eagle. I realized I hadn’t romanticized the majestic eagle at all. There is nothing ignoble about this bird with its massive wingspan. I don’t care if it was coming to dine on deer remains in the ditch, an eagle in flight is a sight unparalleled.
It made me realize that the bald eagle is the perfect symbol of our nation. We are not a perfect country. We have had our share of ugliness. There have been times in our history when we have been scavengers, when we have struggled to survive.
But when we need to, our nation comes together. We volunteer. We listen to one another. We speak respectfully to one another. We fly the flag. We vote.
We need to continue doing all these things. Like the eagle, which can rise above the raucous calls of the crows and gulls, we need to rise above the petty bickering of politics.
Politics is far more complicated
than physics.
Albert Einstein
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