Of feet, deer, apathy, choices and this morning

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I never lamented about the vicissitudes of time or complained of the turns of fortune except on the occasion when I was barefooted and unable to procure slippers. But when I entered the great mosque of Kufah with a sore heart and beheld a man without feet I offered thanks to the bounty of God, consoled myself for my want of shoes and recited:

'A roast fowl is to the sight of a satiated man
Less valuable than a blade of fresh grass on the table
And to him who has no means nor power
A burnt turnip is a roasted fowl.'

Ah.

Photo on FB from Ken Moore's page and from where he got it I know not.

In general where the subject of African famine and rampant disease comes up, I am apathetic, with leanings of hostility (which is another column for another day). I turn away from such images and block references from them.

This'n touched me today and I know why.

 I got in this morning and dumped email. One was from a friend in an ongoing conversation. My letter of yesterday continued today.

I complained about a largely self-inflected and self-chose lot in life. Never mind that I admit to it being my choice. I still whined about it.

But I wrapped note this morning with a bright spot, the morning spent in a deer stand.

It was good.

It was good. God & me watched the deer feed for a bit and then leave. He kept watching them while I stayed in the stand grinning like a possum eating briars.

I thought about shooting. I didn't because I did not want to spook the other deer. Had it been just the big doe come out, I'd be packing the freezer right now instead of typing this. The nubbin buck? I'da probably let him walk too. Let him grow and get a set of antlers to hang on the wall and THEN I'll put him in the freezer and the wall.

I recalled my grandfather. He never killed a deer, not for lack of trying. Dad killed deer. He shot a monster buck at night in the 70s (never found it) and was party to some other night shootings (some of which still hang on walls). He had an 8 point on the wall.

I have a line of bucks on the wall, including two 8 points, a monster 7x9 elk and a Safari Club International silver-class fallow deer and other trophies. Still have meat in the freezer from last year's hunting as well.

This is a GREAT album.

And I still complained about my life, never mind it is what I chose.

This morning I chose to get up before 6 a.m. and sit in a deer stand. This morning I watched the woods wake up around me. This morning I chose to watch 4 deer walk around. This morning I chose to come to work after getting out of the woods.

This morning I made more choices which will further define who I am.

This morning, I regret the complaints I emailed to my very good friend in Canada.

This morning, my life is pretty good compared to the emaciated person in the picture I swiped from Ken Moore's FB page.

Complain about your life if you wish, it's your right. But the questions are:

Are you man enough to admit that your choices have led you to where you are?

Are you willing to admit that no matter how bad your situation is, there's someone who'd eagerly swap places with you?

I think I should have stayed in the deer stand longer this morning.