This year I acquired and raised four little, cute chicks that grew into four lovely egg producing hens: Lucy, Myrtle, Fern and Ivy.  The thing about hens is that they can “go broody” even without a rooster around, meaning they get fixated upon sitting on their (unfertilized) eggs in hopes of them turning into babies. If you don’t push them out of the nesting box and try to get them interested in something else, they’ll basically develop chicken Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, sit there forever, not eat, and stop producing eggs. It’s annoying.

Lucy has been the broody gal today. I booted her butt out of the nesting boxes twice and then finally resorted to locking the coop door.  Later, I discovered her in the Calla Lily frawns sitting on a secret mother load of six eggs. Myrtle, Fern and Ivy had their chattering heads in the frawns apparently hosting an intervention. They seemed to be saying, “Dude! You’ve got to stop with the sitting and brooding. We know you say you can stop at any time, but you can’t. She’s going to take our stash if she finds it.”

Too late. I found it. Omelets tomorrow. Right on!

The pout

Much to my surprise: Lucy planted her fluffy self outside the patio door and proceeded to pout. Who knew chickens pout? Well it’s logical given the circumstances, right? I’m messing with Stella’s groove, stealing her stuff, locking her out of her house, and ignoring her beady, albeit cute, birdie stink-eye emanating from the other side of the glass. Within her poultry brain it makes perfect sense to be miffed, driven, and to attempt to get back into those empty nests, damn it.  Her hormones are raging.

The stupids

It humorously reminded me of the many times in life when people have pissed me off with their persistent, recurring and seemingly stupid behaviors. Why keep repeating patterns that do not serve and cause so many problems? The friend who can’t help but be passive aggressive and infer blame around the most innocent of day-to-day workings, the relative who doesn’t take their meds for manic depression and hosts traumatic episodes for the whole family, the spouse who freaks out over finances even when the bank account is A-OK.

Then there is me, of course, who follows human suit too and repeats my own “stupid” things like: getting angry with the passive aggressive, bonehead friend, the mentally ill relative or at my spouse who has about a zillion positive character attributes which far outweigh the aggravating ones. So why do I repeat that behavior which doesn’t serve me?

I once had the great honor of interviewing Dr. Leon Hammer. Dr. Hammer is a brilliant MD and acupuncturist. In my professional world of acupuncture and Oriental Medicine he is regarded as a venerated master, an accomplished author, and a clinician operating at a level few will ever attain. After our interview, our conversation turned to some political matters of the day and the key players making a mess of them. I expressed my frustration. In his kind, measured, precise way he said, “Karen, you must remember they are not operating this way to be nuisances. They are operating this way because it’s the only way they know to be in the world.”

The pattern always makes sense, but does it still serve?

Hmmmm: egg on my face, no pun intended.

The pattern is going to be there right? So why be mad about it? It doesn’t exist for the purpose of simply cheesing me or you off. It exists because somewhere along the line it made sense for that seemingly destructive game plan to emerge. It was that person’s best mode for survival at that time and the hard wiring of their brain keeps re-launching the software. It’s the way all of our brains subconsciously work.

Maybe the passive aggressive scene is the only one that didn’t get that friend corporally disciplined in an abusive home. Maybe the manic depression meds have so many side effects that the relative doesn’t tolerate them and there’s no patient advocate for them to try something new. Maybe the spouse dealt with extreme poverty and scarily unpredictable circumstances as a child and he or she has heightened anxiety and worry around money issues.  On some level the behavior always makes perfect sense, though it may not be welcome, helpful, pleasant, or even socially acceptable.

That is what happens to us humans: we default to operating in the same-old-same-old patterns, unless we deliberately spearhead a new approach, Spearheading takes work and vigilant consciousness surrounding it. Our subconscious mind is a database of all the experiences in life and the game plans, which emerged to navigate them. Though the old experiences may not even been current or valid in life right now, we can go on autopilot so easily and launch the “stupids” software in full force.

So do chickens pout? Well, yes, apparently when it makes sense for them to do so.

Do humans annoy one another with repetitive, unhelpful behavior?  Sometimes. Does my brooding help me navigate another Pinkie’s survival pattern? Nope.

Do we Pinkies have a choice about the game plan? Indeed.  Hatch a new plan Pinkie - pun intended - and heal those patterns.

Karen Reynolds is an Acupuncturist, Chinese Herbalist and RN and is co-owner of Balance Restored Center for Integrative Medicine in Mill Valley, CA. She specializes in women's health and has a penchant for green sustainable living.