My Phobia of Robins

When I was four years old, I was in my big yard throwing out birdseed to the robins. They were near me, but not too close. I had been doing this every day-- it was a good way for my mom to get soem time to herself for a few minutes alone with my new brother and I enjoyed it. One particular day, the day I stopped doing this, there was a robin that seemed to be watching me. I thought he kept coming back to look at me, but in retrospect, you can't tell robins apart for the most part and every robin was probably watching me closely because I wanted to pet them.

I ran inside the house and shut the door and my mother asked what was wrong and I said, "There is a robin out there. He's looking at me and he knows who I am!"

My mom laughed at my absurdity and I think she even told me to not be absurd, but I'd not go back outside because of that robin! A little while later I got into trouble for doing something and she sent me to my room. I was looking out the window and the robin landed on the rhododendron bush nest to my window and was looking at me again! I screamed and my mom ran in and took me out of the room, but she thought that I was just silly. Her logic that it probably wasn't THE robin didn't work on me. I knew what I knew, and that was the very same robin!

This morning I was making breakfast and my five year old wanted to give some magpies some sunflower seeds so I sent her out with a little bag of them. There was soon a flock of five or so around her and she ran in and started peering out the back door. "There is a magpie who is over there and he'd looking at me. He knows who I am!"

I said, "Yes he does! And he's probably telling all this friends about your good birdseed and how sweet you are!"

She smiled and I filled up her little bag again to go give to her new admirer!

In spite of all the years that have passed, my heart still jumps when I see robins!