One movie that has traumatized me for life was The Birds. After watching the movie I remember covering the top of my head with one hand while covering my eyes with the other while those hideous birds broke through the roof, windows, and doors and then onto Tippi Hedren's head.
To this day I still run for cover when seagulls swoop over my head in search of food because those horrifying scenes from The Birds are seared into my memory! Don't get me wrong, I adore birds of all kinds but I don't feel comfortable if they are flying too close to me!
To this day I still run for cover when seagulls swoop over my head in search of food because those horrifying scenes from The Birds are seared into my memory! Don't get me wrong, I adore birds of all kinds but I don't feel comfortable if they are flying too close to me!
So based on my fear of low flying birds, I had reservations about taking care of Charlie, a green cheeked conure, even though his cage prevented him from causing any mischief.
But as I refilled Charlie's food and water bowls he watched me very carefully and just as I was about to close the gate he nudged his way out of captivity and
climbed to top of the cage! His owners told me that Charlie was given the freedom to roam and fly on a daily basis and to not be alarmed if he got out of the cage and that all I had to do to get him back in was to extend my finger but he wasn't interested!
I then tried to lure him onto a piece of lettuce but he bit my finger instead!
And just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, Charlie decided to recreate a scene from The Birds by flying throughout the kitchen! I tried not to scream or panic but when he flew just inches above my head I was terrified that he would come in for a landing on my head and possibly take a few chunks of my blonde hair along with him and start building a nest. The only way, in my mind, to prevent me from becoming another Tippi Hedren victim (yes, I'm exaggerating a bit) was to avoid his flying pattern and try to remain calm!
It was a battle of wills by this point and I had only one more strategy left: I was going to focus my attention on the turtle and fish who no doubt were thankful for this change of scenery! Within minutes, Charlie swooped to the top of the cage for a bite of the lettuce that I'd left there earlier and then he ambled onto the inside pole just below him and then I quickly closed the gate! To be fair, Charlie was a gentle, playful little guy who was just having a little fun with his pet sitter!
As I conclude this story, have an irrational fear of birds after watching The Birds?
I had to laugh about your post!! It reminds me of myself. That movie scared me so much and I watched it over and over and to this day, it still scares me!! I've had alot of birds in my life although they were in cages. The only bird that terrified me was in a pet store. He was named Sarge and was a great big Parrot (I think). I walked in..he jumped from his stoop and landed on my shoulder. I had visions of him ripping my earring out, my hair out and other deadly acts. My friend kept saying "don't move, don't move". No chance of that...I was not moving an inch. It seemed like hours before someone that worked there came over and got him off of me! I've never been back to that store either!!! Lots of love, Debbie and Holly
ReplyDeleteHee hee hee...
ReplyDeleteThat's sooo funny! Charlie's a sneaky stinker! Good thing for that piece of lettuce!!!
Loves, Josie, Izzy and Anakin
My human Grandma, who I never met, had a fear of birds. It was so legendary that it's gone down in family history which is how I know about it. I don't believe she ever went to see that movie. All I really know about birds is that I like to chase them.
ReplyDeletewags, Lola
Bwaaaa ha ha! After realizing that my husband had never seen The Birds, I rented it last summer and we had a good time watching it.
ReplyDeleteThe movie that got me was Jaws! Now, let me say first that I was very young when it first came out, and in very early school years when they ran the edited version on TV for the first time. I begged to watch it. My mom said it was not happening in any uncertain terms. My parents would end up divorced several years later, and I can only guess that my dad let me watch it out of spite. In any event, I was much too young to see it when I did. For years afterwards, I had a distinct fear of sitting on the toilet and swimming in the river that we frequented in the summer. So, while The Birds wasn't a killer for me, I understand your feelings behind it!
That movie was so scary! When we used to go to the beach, my sister used to throw popcorn near my feet so the seagulls would swoop down right next to me. Though Charlie doesn't look anything like those birds.
ReplyDeleteI was so young when I saw it that my memory has faded. I guess it didn't quite stick with me! I think that's a good thing...
ReplyDeleteLOL! Sorry to laugh, but that movie freaks me out too. Although I can't resist watching it every time it comes on! We used to have a bird, and it hated us. H A T E D. Then we learned that birds choose their people... ahhhh.
ReplyDeleteShannon and the Gang
Nope 'The Birds' didn't frighten me; but I saw an early version of 'The Titanic' when I was 5, that kept me off boats until I was nearly 20!
ReplyDeleteCharlie seems to be a cheeky Bird.
Alpha (Daisy, Kendra & Bella)
D, K & B love chasing birds. Especially crows.
I saw Birds a couple of times. The movie scared me too!! I guess not in quite the same way. I was not afarid of birds after the movie. I have been drawn to animals and birds all my life. I am so facinated by them all!! I feel a connection to them and they all seem to feel it too.
ReplyDeleteXXOO, Fern
Mom and dad have had more than their share of birdies over the years. An Amazon parrot was out and needed to go back into his cage one day and dad grabbed the broom to use as a perch to lure Caruso back inside. Caruso inched his way up the broom handle and gave dad a nasty bite! haha
ReplyDeleteOur home is now bird-free, thank doG, but it was an experience that we'll never forget. Birdies are pretty cool but NOISY!
Love ya lots,
Maggie and Mitch
Maybe it was a bad movie for you to see because you already had a fear of fluttering things. I've read somewhere it's a common phobia. I had a friend who couldn't be anywhere near free-flying birds and she was terrified of moths.
ReplyDeleteAre you upset by moths fluttering around you?
I'm not much of a movie watching guy. BUTT.. on my hill... I give the birds something to think about.
ReplyDeletehehehe
I've had a number of birds and found that food usually gets them back into the cage when they escape. One could only be lured back with molasses cookies, so I kept them on hand.
ReplyDeletethanks for taking such good care of Charlie while we were away. He didn't even bother coming out of his cozy hut when we got home. he has been squawking at us and it sounds like he was telling us about his adventure, I really think he did it on purpose, maybe he watched the movie before : = )
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