Throughout movie history there have been several shows with similar names. These have included, “The Attack of the Killer Tomatoes,” “The Attack of the Clones,” and “The Attack of the 50-Foot Woman.” I am happy to report that I have seen none of these (I’m especially glad that I missed the last one of the above-named movies). I have not been able, however, to miss “The Attack of the Rufous-Sided Towhee.” This is a little drama that has been enacted for the past several years at the sliding-glass doors of our den.
The Rufous-Sided Towhee is a beautiful bird. The male has a black head, neck, and shoulders. He also has (you guessed it) a rufous side. Rufous is a moderate orange color. These birds are generally rather shy and do not come to the back yards of homes, but we have a thick growth of azaleas and nandinas near our back door, so for the past several years these birds have evidently nested there. But our friend, the rufous-sided towhee, is not content with that location.
Just inside our sliding glass doors, we have several houseplants that soak up the available light, and the afore-mentioned towhee thinks it looks very inviting for nesting. So, each year at this time, he tries to explore our den for possible nesting sites. We know that he has arrived each year by the sounds that he makes when he starts flailing against our glass doors. He just does not understand glass and can see no good reason why he should be prevented from coming inside.
He is not the smartest bird you’ve ever met. He has launched himself against the glass dozens of times this year—all with the same result. Not only has he done it this year, but, assuming it is the same rufous-sided towhee (and I must admit that I find it difficult to tell one rufous-sided towhee from another), he has done this for the past three or four years. My rough estimate is that he has launched himself against the glass a total of about 200 times or more over the past few years.
I suppose I should not be shocked by his craving to build a nest in our den. You would think that he would be content with the thick azaleas and nandinas, and, if he were not content with that particular patch of bushes, there are hundreds of acres of bushes in the great outdoors. But you know how it is—the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. Or, in this case, the plants are always more inviting on the other side of the glass.
A lack of contentment with what we have is one of our universal problems. Benjamin Franklin said that contentment makes poor men rich and discontentment makes rich men poor. Paul said, “Godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Tim. 3:6). One of life’s greatest blessings is to want what you have. Be careful lest you spend your life in pursuit of the grass that is greener on the other side of the fence or the plants that look better on the other side of the glass.
