I use he/him pronouns. Black Lives Matter. Abolish the Police. I am a proud Mestizo. When I was a kid I would watch my grandfather, surrounded by people, be more interested in watching the wild birds around him that everyone else seemed to ignore. He would tell me which birds were fighting and why. My grandmother used to keep families of parakeets in her home and she would tell me intricate details of their social lives that were better than any novela. My father taught me how the birds would tell him when it was about to rain. My mother used to thrill me with her whistling birdsong imitations. My wife enjoys daydreaming about the fact that these birds have been co-evolving with us and have been our companions since before we were even humans. My daughters request birds on their birthday cakes. All my ancestors - ancient and recent - had and continue to have personal relationships with birds. Last year I learned what a field guide was and got introduced to the birding hobby.