Slant Tales

A literature professor I once had told the class, “Every time you see a bird in the text, pay attention.  It means something.”

Now I am constantly looking for birds, or places where birds should be.  I need to be reminded: Pay attention.  This means something.

But the problem with looking for birds is that you might miss other things.  You can end up with an entire book marked with underlined birds, everything else neglected for meaning.  Nothing really matters when one thing matters more.