Big Ideas Begin With An Inkling
Here’s how to notice and cultivate them
A faint tap on my window roused my attention. In truth, it made me jump because a person wouldn’t be able to reach this window without a ladder.
There, hovering outside the glass like a fairy, was a hummingbird. Its wings were copper-lined from the midafternoon sun. It seemed to want my attention. I laughed as I sucked in my gut, sitting in that person-living-alone-slouched-on-the-couch position that no one ever sees.
It appeared she was window shopping, the inquisitive bird. Or perhaps she was seeking knowledge that she would carry along on her way. Or maybe, just maybe she dropped by to deliver a message of some sort. Hummingbirds are, after all, nature’s gossipmongers.
She didn’t stay long, a few seconds, but long enough that I felt a connection with the little messenger.
Like the most fleeting thoughts.
Like a whisper.
A researcher at UCLA, Melanie Barboni, is a “hummingbird whisperer.” She developed a kinship with the colorful array of birds she fed and nurtured daily. She learned that they do indeed communicate with us and they develop a sense of trust over time. They often perched on her thumb and ate out of her palm. They showed their impatience by…
