Big Damn Hero!

As many of you know, I work in a coffee shop. Any day that it is above 50 degrees, the owner asks us to have the front door open, in order to attract business. So today, like most days, the front door was open. Unlike most days, there was a torrential downpour outside, leading to people rushing in the front door to escape the rain. Well. Today, a customer came rushing in, and on his way in, managed to startle two sparrows that were on the ground in front of the entrance. Those two sparrows came fluttering into the shop in a panic, while other customers watched in startled bemusement.

Here is where I come in! I had been behind the bar when this happened, and I asked everyone to calm down and hold still. One of the birds had flown low, and landed on the foot rest beneath the front counter. This bird was a fairly easy catch- I asked people to move their legs, trapped the bird in both hands, and (while enduring angry bites on my fingers) carried it to the front door and released it. One bird safe!

The second bird was more difficult. It had flown high, and was perched among the track lights, about 12 feet up. I grabbed a high stool and got up on it to try and spook it down. It spooked, all right. The wrong way. It flew to the back of the shop, again landing on the track lights. I jumped on top of a chair, and (blinded by the bright lighting) reached for the bird again. It again flew off, this time bumping up against the window above the front door. I again jumped on the stool, and this time managed to get my hands around the panicked bird. Like its friend, it bit me until I released it out the front door. I hopped down from the stool, and every customer in the store burst into applause. I blushed, curtsied, and went to wash my hands free of all the dirty sparrow germs.

Like I said, Big Damn Hero. :-P