The pigeon-feeding man
We were strolling through the maze-like paths of the National Garden of Athens when we saw the pigeon-feeding man. He was sitting on a bench, hands spread out, a flock of pigeons fluttering around his head, occasionally resting on his palms.
Feeding the pigeons in the plaza in front of the Parliament remains to this day a popular activity. An itinerant merchant sells packs of seeds – much like the bird lady in Mary Poppins – and it is a common sight to have the children run around the square throwing the grains on the ground, laughing at the birds as they flock noisily at their wake, fighting after the desired treat. The experience is fun and noisy but lacks the serenity emanating from the man on the bench. There, in the mellow dimness of the Garden’s alley, feeding the birds turned into a spiritual moment, an indelible expression of love, a meditation in itself.
We approached quietly, with reverence, and stood at a distance. Neither the man nor the birds seemed to mind our presence, and we engaged in small talk, mesmerised, almost hypnotised, only to prolong the pause and the sensation. Then, with his permission, we took a photo and showed it to him. “It is fine for the pigeons to look well-fed,” he commented coquettishly with a grin, “but I am just fat!” We laughed, for the picture was beautiful like him, and we saw nothing but adorableness and elegance in it.
As we continued our way, I turned my gaze to take a final look. The man had not moved at all, remaining patient and benevolent, as if this was his permanent state of being. It was not his act of feeding the birds that had touched my heart. After all, in Greece, many people take care of stray animals; even in our family, we have occasionally adopted – or, rather, we have been adopted ourselves by – a pet from the streets. But, in the scene that unfolded under the canopy of the Garden’s trees, I saw a glimpse of the Divine that we all carry within, and there was such a glow, energy, and harmony radiating from the moment that I walked away enriched and fulfilled.
Photo credits: © Konstantina Sakellariou
