In mid-March one year, I went to San Juan Capistrano, California to see the return of the cliff swallows. As I was watching these legendary birds fly over head at dusk, I saw someone sitting on the ground intensely staring up at them. After a few moments, I recognized him as one of my classmates in high school. He was the valedictorian when he graduated and by far the smartest kid in the school.
I wondered…was he a doctor? A lawyer? Or maybe the head of a corporation? As I began walking toward him, it became apparent that he was none of those, and that he probably didn’t even have a job. It was also obvious to me that he had more than a passing interest in the cliff swallows, because laying next to him on the ground was a BB gun and a skillet.
I considered asking him if they tasted like chicken, but I didn’t want to embarrass him.