Call Me Crazy…

…But I just can’t shake the feeling that I’m being watched lately. Loading my belongings into the same worn school bag in the morning, something doesn’t feel right. To my knowledge, nothing has changed in the world immediately outside my doorstep, and yet I find myself fearful of encountering some unknown set of eyes, harshly pointed in my direction as soon as I lock the door behind me. My first reaction is to question why such this intense feeling stirs up my gut more thoroughly than even the most prolific blenders on the market, but the craziness of the whole situation prevents me from rationalizing it. Obviously no one could be watching my everyday comings and goings – Who would want to observe something so fantastically dull? – But part of me is still reluctant to dismiss it and push the thought firmly into the back of my mind.

When faced with general uneasiness like this, I’ve found that in most cases the only way to work through it is to play it by ear. Try to go through the day like normal, but keep an eye out for the atypical, I coach myself as my hand closes around the door knob. Out into the sunlight that is only beginning to break above the horizon, all is well… But there is still that creeping feeling just gnawing away at my mind, tickling my peripheral vision, teasing and taunting me as though it’s some crazy game of keep-away. Desperate to determine the source now, my game plan quickly dissolves and I find myself traipsing out into the backyard, looking every which way for the unknown.

Luckily, before there was time for me to have a complete mental meltdown, my eyes fixed on one bright spot way up in the trees above me. Without understanding why, I knew with great certainty that I had found the source of my malaise, the voyeur who had been stealing long glances at me without my full awareness.

Quite comfortably situated in a not-so-distant bush, the bright yellow eyes of fowl origin pointed directly at me, and easily gave away their owner as the perpetrator I had sensed for days now.

Feeling justified to take a good long look for myself this time, it was confounding that I had failed to notice him until now. Unlike any other owl I had ever encountered, my resident peeping tom here was quite conspicuous in his fantastic outfit of brilliant purple feathers. How on Earth had he managed to hide in such a monotone setting, especially when the late-blooming leaves have not yet come in? Clearly not from around here, I’m sure he must have found all these strange humans living under one roof just as fascinating as I thought him to be. I don’t blame him for being curious… But truly, if there’s one thing that drives me crazy, it’s when I receive unwanted stares from strangers!

Knowing full well that he had been caught, the owl must have decided that he had seen all there was to see, and after one last unblinking glance, he shuffled away into higher branches, hiding himself from view. Although I would have given him quite a serious talking to for driving me nearly to the edge with such shenanigans, I knew it would be futile to attempt reaching him way up in the trees where he waited. No need to add injury to insult, thank you very much.

Making my way to the car and going back to business as usual, I was content just to confirm that I wasn’t completely losing my mind all the same. Let me tell you, the day went much smoother when I didn’t have to worry about some scary stalker waiting to ambush me just around the bend – Just a small purple owl no more dangerous than your average couch potato.