The way of the parrot

(This is a cult)

Here’s a fun fact you may not know (or if you’ve followed me for any length of time, you may already be aware): there is a flock of wild red-headed parrots living in San Francisco. No one knows how they got here. And unless you are paying attention, you may miss these magical creatures completely. 

It may go without saying, but I am utterly obsessed with them. They adopted me when I first moved into my apartment (né bird cage), and we’ve lived a harmonious existence and love affair ever since. They visit me daily, but they are not my pets. Their presence is unpredictable, sometimes for an hour, sometimes for eight. They’ve trained me on the value of surprise and spontaneity. I leave food out for them in the same way that they nourish me with their whimsy. I have not given them names - it feels wrong to ground such ancient and wise beings in something so mundane. 

Through our daily visits, I’ve come to believe that the answer to almost every possible question you could ever have is ‘parrot’. Having a bad day? Watching a parrot for five minutes doing some bizarre form of acrobatics solves everything. Need a hug? Watch them cuddle. Feeling anxious? Listen to them giggle amongst themselves. Need a sign? Watch the flock soar through the sky. Wondering if you should wait for his text? Observe a parrot squawk to demand respect. Looking for peace? Watch them huddle together in the trees during a rainstorm. 

They are completely ridiculous. They are silliness and whimsy personified (or rather, parrot-fied). They are the most elite and ancient birds. We hear a lot about eagles, hawks, and birds of prey, but they embody the warrior class of birds. Parrots are the Platonian Philosopher-Kings. In their age, they embody the greatest secret—that life should not be taken so seriously. Magic, joy, and wonder surround us - all we have to do is look up. 

As Osho once said:

I don’t think existence wants you to be serious. I have not seen a serious tree. I have not seen a serious bird. I have not seen a serious sunrise. I have not seen a serious starry night. It seems they are all laughing in their own ways, dancing in their own ways. We may not understand it, but there is a subtle feeling that the whole existence is a celebration.

Announcing ‘Here There Be Parrots’

I’ve been thinking about what I could do to share this gift. I’m lucky to experience their joy daily, and I want others to feel the same.  While I have more than enough ideas, I’ve admittedly been completely trapped in my human-designed cage of perfectionism (and work). And let’s be serious, I have enough on my plate already. And thus, in true parrot fashion, I’ve decided just to start - small, messy, and imperfect. 

I’ve named this project ‘Here There Be Parrots’ to reference the unexplored and untamed spaces in maps where magic and mystery still live. It’ll begin with an Instagram account, and, as time and space allow, expand into surprise parrot love letters (if you’d like to receive a package of joy, DM me your mailing address. But, like a parrot, I give no guarantees on if/when anything will actually arrive). 

I welcome all help. I’m not a social media expert or much of a photographer (and the parrots have rejected my attempts to capture them via a Birdly camera-enabled feeder). But I do know this: the world needs more parrots, and I hope you agree. 

This is my agreement to you: I promise to flood your feed with parrot whimsy and wisdom, and in return, I would like your help in spreading the good word of the parrot to the world. 

So this gets us to our main point. I’ve alluded to this. There is a running joke amongst my friends regarding cults and when one knows one is actually in one. To avoid confusion or doubt, I will just go ahead and say it….

<%~*This is a Cult*~%>

I write this from seat 17A, with a parrot’s eye view - soaring at eye-level with the clouds, looking down at the abstracted geometrical view of civilization below. I’ve always been spiritual - always valued something to believe in - but over the last year, I’ve changed my perspective on religion.

All religions live in me. They differ in execution and details, but for me, the essence is the same. We are universally connected by the same source we came from, and religion provides a framework and pathways for living an energetically clean life. Religion is a blueprint. 

To live these values, I adhere to what works for me. On the deepest level, I follow the path of the forest, the quiet and humble way of Ayahuasca, returning to my truth and the source. I follow how to live in society, how to be a woman, and how to live with grace through my devotion to my Episcopal faith and the dogma of how to lead a wholesome yet human life. I take note of the Taoist and Buddhist practices of peace, stillness, and harmony. And then there’s the way of the parrots, my church of nature. 

I could (and I will) wax poetic for hours about parrots. These feathered elders contain infinite wisdom - they are beautiful, ancient, and unbelievably silly birds. They combine it all - from being true to the weirdest and most authentic parts of oneself, adhering to community values, and living in one with nature. 

So, I make no qualms that behind the front of a fan page dedicated to parrots is a search for a deeper meaning of life and a desire to learn from our elders. In short, it’s a cult. But, it is a friendly and joyful cult with the core belief that life is fundamentally better if we all lean into the silliness of it all. Unlike other cults, I’m not forcing you into my beliefs, but I am encouraging you to remember to laugh a little. 

If you spend enough time with parrots, as I hope you will, you’ll start to see a pattern—a blueprint for how to live, both for yourself and for society. Parrots are strong individuals with no single leader, just mutual respect and camaraderie. I’ve never seen them fight. They set boundaries and let go of disagreements quickly. Most of their time is spent nesting and socializing, but they also need space to roam. Stewart Metz’s Parrot’s Bill of Rights could easily apply to humans, too.

Live and Love Freely

I write all of this not as a conclusive framework but as a first step away from human perfectionism and towards messy and irreverent parrot wisdom. And most importantly, an excessive number of parrot memes. And as my plane lands and I hear my deadline of tray tables to their upright positions, I leave you with this: 

Yesterday, I told a friend I wanted to live and love freely - to live with non-attachment and to love deeply without constraint. He asked what I meant. To live and love freely is to live like a parrot. It’s filling every moment with the irrational exuberance of being alive. It’s opening your line of sight to see beyond the horizon. It’s opening your heart to the magic that exists if you’re willing to look up and find it. 

And when you look beyond the edges of the map, remember: 

Here Be Parrots.