Erni Johnson

Taking Flight Erni Johnson

Walter starts every morning by making a list. It was what his mother always did and as near as he could remember, it seemed to work well for her. Of course everything seemed to work well for her, but perhaps that was why. Understanding cause and effect was never Walter's strong point... at least not until he began to study birds. Birds, he has concluded are the epitome of cause and effect. Walter is 42 years-old and a Field Guide...at least that was what he wrote whenever he was required to fill in a form on which a line labelled "Occupation" appeared. If he divulged too soon (in ink) that he worked at the Wellfleet Audubon Society as a Bird Watching Tour Guide, he would not be able to fill in the other categories asking for "Job Title" and "Employer" without repetition. He lives alone in the former family home with Brody, a 17 year-old black lab who once belonged to Walter's father. The dog is now arthritic, semi-incontinent, slightly deaf, and fairly objective regarding Walter's existence. His life is otherwise affectionately orchestrated by his four older sisters and their universally female offspring, but seems to be proceeding in a rather contentedly consistent manner; that is, until an enthusiastic young intern, Jeannette, joins the Audubon Sanctuary staff. Then, just as it does in his study of birds, the question arises for Walter himself: when and how, exactly, does one decide to take flight?