Reflections on Puck's Talent

Although there is no doubt in my mind that Puck had extraordinary abilities, he was definitely in the right household to both augment his aptitude and document his achievement. Ours was a home without children, other than a 16 year old nephew who lived with us for seven weeks during Puck’s lifetime. Consequently, we had less noise and fewer distractions than the average household. Then again, in me, Puck had a caregiver who would be considered a doting pet owner. I spoke to him frequently when I was home, and I spoke to him as an intelligent, sensitive creature. Puck’s cage was also ideally situated, as far as exposure to conversations was concerned. He probably was able to hear 90 percent of everything that was ever said in the house! As mentioned earlier, when we were going to be away for any length of time, I made sure that he was entertained by the radio.

Since most of my adult life had been spent researching industries and occupations, I was a note taker by habit, and I had good organizational skills. These were prerequisites in documenting his accomplishments. My hearing acuity was good and this was a further necessity. Some people seemed unable to understand Puck’s speaking pitch and/or rapid delivery.

Although Puck was at least “one in a million,” I am sure that there are a few other birds out there with an aptitude equal to his. They may not achieve as much, or receive recognition for what they do achieve, simply because the right environmental conditions do not come together for them.