A “ different bird” came to our town and the locals greeted him with frowns …. No wonder he didn’t want stick around.…….just a different bird….

He didn’t make a scene …. didn’t suggest we should change a thing…..didn’t put on airs nor raise His chin……. I thought he made a good effort to try a fit in….. but he was a “ different bird “..

I often ran into him and we had lunch and shared stories as to places we had been…. He causally mentioned that he had few friends….perhaps because he was a “different bird 🐦.”

He shared he made no concerted attempts to standout or bring attention to him…. but his zest and enthusiasm for life… seemed offensive to others who seemed to plod through life

His goal was simple and easy to see he just wanted a place where he could be free and not have to change his identity as a “ Different Bird”….

People are apt to attribute and attach things and characteristics to others when it helps them to seemingly understand…. though often they may be totally untrue.

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I was convinced He would not stay but I supplied a  reason and a contribution that not only would benefit Him but change a town that was reluctant to welcome him in.

My oh my how time does fly and that that “Different 🐦 bird”.,,, stayed in town and made it his home. If you asked the people who greeted him with a scowl…….what is their impression it will turn to a smile.

The gist of the conversation will be something like this…..” we are prone to reject things that seem different and out of place…. But time and the conviction of a big heart and a determined face can dismantle and remove any fears that remain”

Mr. Stockton aka “ Different Bird” is the beloved Mayor of Mossville and a beloved and vital part of a community that tried to push him away.

Because and still is …..A “Different Bird”

🦍oboe the hobo