I didn't choose the birding life; the birds chose to instill a deep, primal fear in me. My early years were spent in abject terror of anything feathered, especially the evil trio: pigeons, chickens, and parrots. Since professional help wasn't an option, I weaponized my anxiety, turning obsessive bird-watching into a survival skill. I mastered behavioral observation—not to appreciate nature, but to calculate the exact moment they were going to leave my airspace.. Decades later, that neurotic, hyper-focused gaze has evolved into a 'skill' for snapping photos of all the birds out there. The fear is contained, the anxiety is channeled, and I've successfully transmuted my phobia into a hobby. I am now that person I never thought I'd ever become: a birder.
