Binky #10: Keep Feeding the Pigeons

It was a quiet and solitary scene on Chardon Square.  Some public offices and the library were closed. Binky thought the pigeons sounded almost noisy today. He was standing in his usual place by himself feeding the pigeons. Binky was feeding the pigeons differently.  Without really knowing it he was using techniques developed by the famous behavioral psychologist B.F. Skinner to train the pigeons to stay 6 feet apart. The pigeons were adjusting and learning fast.  It was so quiet that he heard footsteps coming from almost 20 feet away. Binky turned just as John Carlson, the lead reporter from the Maple Tree Gazette, greeted him.

Carlsson was noticeably glum, but Binky’s smile and upbeat tone of voice cheered Carlson a bit.

Carlson was worried about the Gazette.  With everything closed up, there would be a drop in advertising revenues from businesses, restaurants, and stores. He worried about the paper’s future. He worried that since not much was happening there wouldn’t be many stories for his reporters to write.

As he talked to Binky he told him all these things. Binky told John Carlson not to worry. Things will turn out OK. Binky said, “People like you, Mr. Carlson. They like the Gazette newspaper. They will help you.”  He told Mr. Carlson that there were plenty of good stories to write. He pointed to the pigeons and he described how fast they learned to stay 6 feet apart.  He reminded Carlson that spring was coming and there were plenty of good things to write about. There were things like the daffodils that came up with that bright yellow that looked so good after the dull gray winter. He told Carlson that he could write about the Redwing Blackbirds that return this time of year and make that funny squawky sound. Binky said, “Mr. Carlson, just walk down by the creek as the sun goes down and listen. There are hundreds of frogs croaking and squeaking. When they croak all together it’s really loud,” said Binky.”  Just go for a walk, you’ll see,” Binky urged.

By the time Carlson left he was feeling a lot better. He thought, yes we will make it. He looked back at Binky and waved one more time. Binky smiled a big smile and waved back.  Carlson turned to go and thought to himself, “No damn wonder people like that guy.”

Writer’s note:

For nearly 3 months I have been writing (or maybe attempting to write) fictional parodies and satires entitled Binky’s Bench. The newspaper treated the stories as advertising and charged me accordingly. I paid for the space.

It’s important that we understand that in America we have a wonderful freedom, freedom of the press. A Free Press, however doesn’t mean a free newspaper. Newspapers sustain themselves first and foremost with advertising and secondly through subscriptions.

So maybe it’s time that you bought a small ad that wishes a friend or loved one happy birthday, or share the location of your secret fishing hole, tell people where the best takeout fish fry is and remind your wife how much you love her. (Maybe that ad should be a little bigger.)  I could go on but you get the point. When this is all over we will still want know what’s happening in Geauga County and I hope this paper will be there to tell us.

Last, this is my final episode of Binky’s Bench. Now it’s up to you to create your own stories and write about them. There are lots of things to write about both fiction and nonfiction. When you write I hope you will use Binky as a role model. Just like Binky, try to be helpful so that people will like you. Oh, and just one more thing. Keep feeding the pigeons.

The opinions expressed here are solely those of Dave Partington. Binky’s Bench is paid for solely by Dave Partington. Binky's Bench is a work of fiction.