How does a swan scratch its itchy neck?
An unusual and definitely an irrelevant question. I thought so too. Until I recently witnessed the answer evolving right in front of me. And it was mind blowing!
Up till a few days ago, the itching problems of a swan was not part of my list of concerns. Don’t get me wrong, I love going into nature and certainly care about the well being of animals. Besides, I have seen dozens of swans in my life. You may think:
‘Should I waste my time and continue reading?!’
Honestly I would have deleted the newsletter myself when I was in my twenties. As this kind of question was not particularly of vital importance. Let’s be honest: it does not heal a rare disease or make an end to wars.
What if I had known the answer when I was younger?
Would it have influenced my choices in study and career? Maybe I had already seen the answer but I had not noticed. As I was too busy executing step by step my carefully planned life.
Perhaps it has only been revealed to me now because I was ready for it. There I was laying on one of the many seaside beaches Finland has to offer, and watched as the waves hit the rocks. I stared long enough until all my thoughts disappeared and my mind went blank. Then my eyes were drawn to the swan. Nothing else mattered anymore.
Suppose you and your colleagues were asked to put down all your work just to find an answer to this question.
At the same time, a few floors higher CEO‘s would discuss and calculate how many costs the company would save if employees do not have to interrupt their work to get rid of that annoying itch between the shoulder blades where they can or cannot reach.
Can’s of coffee, packages of cookies, chocolate bars and empty pizza boxes later you and your colleagues would lean back and look at each other as if you all had just won the lottery!
And when the answer slowly smothered like a wildfire to all the people in the city, everyone would go to the streets and embrace each other. Like when their national team had become world champions.
Now that they found out about the swan´s ability to scratch its neck, children did not want to go home from school. Their curiosity had been shaken up.
What about a grasshopper and how does a frog scratch an itch on his back?
Young scientists from all over the world would even dare to go one step further. They would come together to share and compare all available studies and knowledge. And even dive deeper into the matter:
Does itch feel different in the neck of a swan than in the neck with humans?
If the young generation could tackle this great itching question and also find a solution for the itching problem, then there was hope. Then the boomer generation could finally lean back and toast with a satisfied nod. People realized the reasons behind their itches. That their minds had been trapped and numbed by daily worries. Their eyes blinded by the twenty four hour flashy displays and never ending crave to binge watch meaningless series. And a simple fact about a swan shook them up. Everybody grabbed this chance as all was not lost! It was still reversible!
The swan floated about 10 meters away from where I lay
I watched how his head went under water looking for something edible. A monotonous activity that had a relaxing effect on me. Then suddenly the swan bowed its neck halfway towards the water and stopped. Surprised by this strange position, I lay motionless and held my breath. My heart was beating fast and I felt something special was about to happen!
With a half -bowed neck, the body of the swan bent a little to the right. At the same time I could see how the swan lifted its left paw out of the water and started scratching the itchy patch on its neck.
"Just like a dog," I stammered, surprised.
When the itch was no more, the swan shook its feathers and let the current take him towards the other swans.
And me? I stayed on for a while. Everything I worried about fifteen minutes before faded.
This one moment made the causes of my itches fade away. My itches (read: worries) around my health, uncertain finances and some pent up anger was no more. Standing on my bare feet I felt the coolness of the earth flowing through my pores deep inside of me. A feeling of joy emerged.
So now that you know the answer, do you dare to ask yourself:
‘ How can I erase the things in my life that make me itch?¨
Curious why I started writing? Read here how it all started!