The world is a mess – here’s why you should look to a pigeon for guidance.

A lesson in quiet resistance

I think we can all agree that the world is a strange and uncertain place at the moment.

Yes, we all know why, and no I’m not going to dig into world politics. What is there to be said that hasn’t been written a million times already?

Instead, I think in trying times it’s good to look towards a philosophy or principal. A lighthouse, of sorts, to guide us through the choppy waters.

You might be tempted to turn to philosophy. Goodness knows, I see a lot of people reading books on stoicism these days. Perhaps you might find some solace in taking cold showers and sleeping on hard beds like the tech bros - or whatever ascetic behaviour they’re currently punishing themselves with in order to gain an illusory sense of control.

Or you could – as I have done – seek out a guru. A modern figure of resilience; someone towards whom your thoughts can turn in moments of angst and stress.

My personal hero: the Parkdale Pigeon.

Firstly, a quick note on pigeons. I could write a whole book about why I think they’re unfairly maligned in society. We domesticated them, loved them for thousands of years, trusted them with our important messages, and kept them as friends in our homes. But when they no longer became useful, we turfed them out and became annoyed when they thrived.

If you spend some time observing pigeons – and I highly recommend you do at some point this week – you’ll find they’re cute, quirky birds filled with personality. The boy pigeons do complex little dances with spins and head bobbing when they’re trying to attract a mate. They coo when they’re happy.

But in an already noble breed, there is no greater hero than the Parkdale Pigeon.

This story goes back to 2018 and starts with a plucky bird choosing a spot to nest. It eventually found a perfect location – the top of this gently warm screen displaying train updates.

But humans are jerks who can’t let pigeons be happy. So someone came along, cleared up the nest and put in ugly metal spikes to deter any future home making.

But the parkdale pigeon wasn’t a quitter.

Stoicism would have this pigeon accept what it cannot control – in this case the petty and cruel bureaucracy of people. But The Parkdale Pigeon was no fool. It could see how stoicism was a limiting philosophy in a modern context.

So, it rebuilt.

And was met with more resistance.

How this was considered more sightly than a cosy little pigeon nest is beyond me.

But where you and I might see painful spikes, the Parkdale pigeon saw elevated multi-level living.

And on this pointy throne, it built a towering, palatial home. The local council conceded defeat, and the Parkdale Pigeon went on to have two babies, while all of Melbourne cheered on.

It was a little pigeon Gandhi.

Whether you are man or bird, hard times will come. They might take the shape of bureaucracy, bad luck, or other forces beyond your control. Some of those forces might be very global and very scary, looming over us in ways that feel impossible to fight.

When faced with these struggles, it’s easy to believe that resilience must look like rage, or some grand act of defiance. And don’t get me wrong, sometimes, it does. Please, don’t let me stop you.

But the Parkdale Pigeon reminds us that we can also choose a quieter form of resistance. It won its battle with a singular determination to be comfortable, to be happy. Impressive that this alone defeated the smallness of council bureaucracy.

So if things feel hard in the coming weeks, think of the Parkdale Pigeon. If for no other reason than because it’s super cute.