Mocking You Mocking Me

Recently, for several consecutive nights, a mockingbird found a comfortable spot in one of our trees and proceeded to serenade us.

All. Night. Long.

It was annoying, to say the least.  It certainly interrupted my family's sleep.

So, of course, I turned to Google for advice.  A quick search yielded results indicating this is not an uncommon problem.  "Great!" I thought.  A simple and harmless solution would soon be had!  But as I began reading, I discovered something surprising: The problem wasn't the bird; the problem was me!

Huh?

That's right.  Page after page; website after website, forum after forum, I was reading the same thing.  Someone would seek advice for the exact same problem I was experiencing, and they would be promptly and thoroughly beaten down by well-meaning (I suppose) individuals insisting that the bird was not the problem!

"Buy earplugs!"

"Sleep in a different room!"

"That mockingbird has every right to do whatever it wants to do!  How dare you suggest otherwise!"

"Learn to enjoy it!"

"Move!"

Now, some of you might be on the bird's side and in complete agreement with the pro-mockingbird statements above.  But others are thinking the same thing I was:  "Huh?"

Honestly, I still don't get it.  But doing what I do for a living, I contemplated the possibility of a lesson in all of this.  And here's what I realized:

I had a problem.  (Sleepless nights from a noisy bird.)  When I went looking for help, I found all kinds of people telling me I was mistaken and that I didn't have a problem.  Or, they told me that I was the problem.  Or, they offered all kinds of solutions that didn't help.

A lot of my clients have had the same experience.  Their problems are more serious than a noisy mockingbird.  And everywhere they've turned for help, they've been told they don't have a problem, or that they are the problem.

In my search for solutions to my noisy mockingbird, one of the most entertaining bits of advice I came across was a guy who suggested mocking the mockingbird.  He proposed sitting near the offending bird and mocking his every sound.  This would, supposedly, cause the male bird to feel threatened because it would conclude that the mocking human was trying to steal the bird's mate.  This, in turn, would cause the bird to move.

While the above solution sounds a bit flaky, it gives me an idea.  One of the most helpful things you can do for someone is meet them where they're at.  If someone tells you they're annoyed by a mockingbird, don't attack them for it.  Don't give them advice that ignores or belittles their stated problem.  Above all, be supportive.  If that means grabbing a lawn chair and joining someone in their yard to mock a mockingbird; then by all means, do it!  The way I see it, there are probably only two possible outcomes: Either the problem will be solved, or you will have an interesting memory to strengthen your bond with that friend or loved one.

Is someone telling you they have a problem?  Go mock a mockingbird!