St. Francis of Assisi’s spirituality had a strong focus on the natural world. His Feast Day on Oct. 4 was an opportune time for me to reflect on my friend, George the parrot, in the wake of his passing.
George was quite the character and made for a wonderful addition to the Oak Park Conservatory, dwelling among tropical plants that would be the typical habitat of his kind.
He was quite an intelligent bird and a great conversationalist with Conservatory visitors, striking up a few words, including a friendly greeting of “Hello!” There’s definitely something impressive about a talking bird.
The Conservatory certainly distinguished itself with his presence there, along with the other birds, among all the plants.
I started visiting him on a regular basis over 20 years ago back when I was in elementary school since I grew up about two blocks away. He was essentially a neighbor. As I got older, I never outgrew my regular visits. Even when I recently transitioned to a new residence further away, I took great comfort in continuing to visit the Conservatory and talk with him. Our conversations may have been mostly saying “Hello” back and forth, yet it was a bonding experience between us.
While I miss him greatly, I am immensely grateful to consider him a friend, and he has already secured a special place deep in my heart. Furthermore, George has surely distinguished himself and rightfully earned a place in the annals of Oak Park as one of its most storied characters, not soon to be too forgotten.
I also thank The Wednesday Journal for its wonderful news article about him a few weeks ago, which celebrated his long and wonderful life [Say it ain’t so, George, News, Sept. 6].
Paul Rubio
Oak Park