Kind of a funny subject I know. But for 2-3 years at least, I’ve been enamored with owls. Doesn’t get the bills paid, irritates certain members of my family, clutters up usable space, but there it is. I’m an owl lover. Not anatomically correct owls, mind you, but owls with big eyes, unrealistic colors, and with just a piquant hint of fluffyness. Did I just make up a word? See, that’s one of the things that the love of owls does for me, increases speech fluidity!
I’m actually writing this story to try and figure out why I love owls. I have an owl spoon rest, owl candle holders, a large owl statue (weird, I know) many pictures of owls, owl cards, a stuffed owl, salt and pepper shakers (more than one set) etc., etc. “Not ANOTHER owl!” my son scoffed recently as I unpacked my treasures I had discovered that day. He threw in a complimentary sigh and eye roll.
I read an article once that said large eyes in babies (and baby animals) bring out nurturing behavior in females. I agree with this, and if you sat inside a store that contained a good assortment of owls, you could count the seconds that it would take for me to ooh and ah and then squeeze most of them. For my time of life it makes sense as well. I’m a mother of a teenager and a twenty something and I see some of my friends squeezing their children’s large eyed offspring, and I can’t help feeling a twang of jealousy. (I’m sure my kids would rather have me crooning over owls anyway, as neither one of them are planning any procreation in the near future!)
Color is another reason that I love owls. The realistic colors of owls are black, brown, gray, etc., and even though there are many lovely patterns and details, the brightly colored and whimsical owls are my favorite. A quick Google search on emotion and color will give you an idea on how important color is to our psyche. A color can energize us, rouse our passions and inspire us, among other things. That must be why I’m drawn to these fanciful owls in purple, orange, bright blues and greens, which look great on a card, T shirt or salt shaker, but might not look as well on the walls, unless you’re someone like Henri Matisse.
I’m also a sucker for the small and fluffy. That’s why it’s not safe for me to pick out dogs, certain shrubbery or furry animals (read ‘hamsters’, which in the past have escaped more than once.) When I was little, I wasn’t a fan of dolls but I loved stuffed animals. I’d line them up on either side of me every night when I went to sleep, and almost all of them fit the ‘small and fluffy’ moniker. Fortunately for me (and my son) they don’t make a ton of small and fluffy owls (at least I haven’t seen many) so they’re not lined up next to my husband when it’s time for bed. (That’s a fun mental image!!)
So, summing up, the reasons I’m enamored with owls are 1) they increase my vocabulary 2) they bring out my nurturing side 3) I respond favorably to bright, fun colors 4) many are small and fluffy! and I’ve just thought of 5) they make a great gift! Who doesn’t like to receive a bright, loveable creature that might also bring out a latent attraction to the small and fluffy?!
Now that I’ve discovered why I love owls, I think I’ll dash over to Etsy to check out more of them. Maybe someone has a birthday or an anniversary, is celebrating 10 years on the job, perhaps a child graduating from kindergarten, or someone who remembered to put out their recycling two months in a row…..
