By Brian Boyko

We'll get back to network performance, routers, switches, IT and enterprises shortly, but something happened today and I think there’s someone out there that should deserve some recognition.

So, before I tell you this story, I should tell you a little bit about the circumstances surrounding it. I’m 29 years old, weigh in at 300 pounds, and while much of it is fat, a whole bunch of it is muscle too.  Long story short, when people can’t remember my name, they often address me as “big guy.”

I went to the local supermarket to pick up some lunch.  I load up my heavy items in the trunk, and head towards the driver’s side of the car. 

That’s when I get hit with what feels like someone throwing a cactus at the back of my head at high velocity.  When the initial shock wore off, I was able to figure out that it wasn’t, in fact, a drive-by cacti, but a crow who had attacked me for some as-yet-unspecified reason.

My immediate suspicion was that the bird was somehow attracted to – or annoyed by – the mousse in my hair.  See, I’ve got kind of a reputation around here of being the local mad scientist/evil genius, and I’m trying to cultivate mad science hair.  I think I was shooting for something a lot like Ludvig von Beethoven but every time I tried it ended up more like Willard Scott’s Bozo – so I just slicked it back and vowed to try again the next day.  But it didn’t turn out to be the mousse.

Some supermarket attendees who saw the exchange explained to me that on the other side of the car rested a baby bird, who would not move.  As such, the parent birds attacked me for having the audacity to get between them and the baby. 

Various methods of getting to the car were tried, but ultimately failed. I tried to get to the car through the passenger side, only to be warded off by the threatening caw-caws of Poppa Crow, caws that penetrated to my very soul.

I then informed work that I might be a little late in getting back to the office. 

I called Austin’s local non-emergency service – 311 – to get in contact with animal control, hoping that they somehow had Steve Irwin’s lost twin brother on staff who could guide me to getting to my car without provoking the large animal.

Okay, well, strictly speaking, a crow isn’t very large, but it certainly hit above its weight class.  Anyway, I was informed that animal control really doesn’t “do birds.”

It was along this time that I saw, from a distance, a young girl, who couldn’t even be in middle school yet, holding a small handtowel, and approaching the baby bird.  I warned her about the crow that attacked – she just kept on heading towards the baby crow, scooped it up into the towel, and took it to safety.

The little girl, Naomi*, is nine years old. I gave her my business card and earlier today, she e-mailed me and told me that the baby bird was eating, and that the bird trusted her like she was its mom.

I want to thank you, Naomi.  You showed both bravery and compassion that should be applauded. 

(Now, if only I was a bit less of a 300 pound wimp!)

*Because she is a minor, "Naomi's" name has been changed.