[Flip Side]
(Internet Published) Sept 2000
I'd reckon that most articles have some educational value. My objection is
that most books and articles don't give the whole story. In fact, the
biggest lie is a story that tells only 1/2 of the whole truth. All very well
to talk about 22 hours 5 minutes, flying into dark, and all of the glamour.
So few reports tell of the defeats, failures and the scores of losses and
dislocated necks (or so called culls). The restrictive practices, the
incredible dedication, self-sacrifice, the extremism behind marathon tippler
times is never explained.
The glamour of perfect rolling in a few ideal specimens of roller pigeons is
not available in "run of the mill issues of rollers". Many many rollers
never come near to the ideal standard of perfect rolling action and many of
these that do will deteriorate in time, or even roll down and kill
themselves.
The drudgery of loft cleaning and the painstaking laborious routine, the
self-discipline, the self-sacrifice, the responsibility, the dedication, the
stress, the frustration and the despair, the anger are not usually
transmitted in books or articles. The ideals, the glory, the excellent
results are edited in and the failures are edited out. This is unfair and
extremely misleading.
When I write I try to give the whole picture. This August week, I have
reported miserable results from my kit of rollers. Would it have been better
to "edit out" the bad publicity and only write about those days of
excellence? Few as they are? I do not think so.
Therefore, I tell it all and it isn't all good. There are days when the
efforts of my own birds are about as enjoyable as "the piles". Yet give and
take is the gospel and I'd call the bargain "fair". Certainly if there was
never any nasty weather we wouldn't appreciate sunshine and nothing better
improves the appetite than starvation.
So, I'll tell it all, not just the nice bits. If I can act like a prawn I
will report the details. Example is the best way to educate. The reporting
of "All" experiences is educative. The next time I foul up and "prawn out"
I'll let you know and I'm saying that if my birds prawn out. It's me who is
the prawn every time.