Who brainwashed me to love eagles?

Today, I saw a bald eagle.  I love seeing bald eagles.  My teachers in elementary school brainwashed me completely; they taught us that bald eagles are majestic creatures.  Regal.  Important.  I imagine little me sitting in typical classroom at a typical school desk taking in every word and taking every word to heart.  Back when I was a kid, bald eagles were endangered.  You rarely saw them in the wild.  I’m not sure I ever did.

I remember when the put the eagle tree out in the lake.  It is essentially an upside-down tripod sticking out of the middle of the lake.  Supposedly, eagles needed places to build their nests, and this would be a great place for that to happen.  I watched the eagle tree.  I checked on it every time we drove into town, but nothing ever built a nest there.  Apparently, the eagles found better places for nesting; they continued to be elusive and I only ever saw them when we visited zoos. 

The eagle tree is still out in the middle of the lake.  I still check on it when I drive to town, but not as obsessively as I once did.  Happily, the bald eagle population has rebounded.  A few years ago, I saw one flying over the highway as I headed home from visiting a friend.  I could hardly believe my eyes; eagles never flew over highways.  At least, I’d never seen one doing that.  I wanted to follow it, but had to settle for watching it until I could see it no more. 

Since that first sighting, I’ve seen a few more bald eagles in the wild; however, I’m not sure it’s been enough to even count on two hands.  What surprises me now are the reactions I get when I mention seeing a bald eagle to anyone.  What to me seems like a crazy, big deal never gets much of a reaction.  My mind can’t comprehend how seeing a bald eagle is not a big deal.  Bald eagles are important.  Bald eagles are rare.  They aren’t like sparrows.  People can’t possibly be tired of seeing them. 

I want people to be excited.  I want people to be surprised.  I want to be able to share how it was so close I could see each individual feather.  I want to share how it looked down at me from the branch in which it perched and looked absolutely bored.  I want to share how after looking at me for a long moment, it gracefully launched itself into the sky and quickly flew out of sight as if to say, “I see you down there, but I have better things to do than have you stare at me all day, so I’ll be going now.” 

No one wants to know these things.  It disappoints me.  Which ever teacher it was who brainwashed me so fully about the importance of bald eagles succeeded in that endeavor.  I am afraid I will always be amazed when I see a bald eagle in the wild, and I am afraid that I will always be amazed when I am the only one who cares.