Text

I have had several of my friends ask why I have a Red-Tailed Hawk on my home page, my business cards and other things that I own.  What is the significance? To answer that, first let me explain my heritage.  I am Irish and Cherokee.  I love both of these cultures equally, and find it fascinating that both held great storytellers among the most honored members of their clans.

My grandmother was part Cherokee, and when I was a young boy, she often told me stories from the Cherokee Nation's lore.  Many of these involved the Red-Tail, and from time to time, you may see some posted on this site.  But that's another story.

She also told me that the Red-Tail was my protector and totem, and that it would be there to watch over me.  I did not think about this too much when I was young, but as I have grown, some of the stories and a lot of her comments have returned to haunt me, perhaps as her way of telling me I needed to get with it and do something else with my life. (Thanks Grandma, you are a big part of why I choose to write)

Anyway, a few years ago, I began to notice that I was seeing Red-Tails at significant times in my life.  Always it seemed that shortly after a sighting, something positive would happen in my life.  These ranged from times when I might be feeling a little down and after a sighting I would receive some sort of pick-me-up, to an interesting happening on the golf course.Yes, I am one of those mad people who love to chase that little ball around and ruin a nice walk in a park! 

As a result, I started really paying attention to how often this happened, and it turned out to be quite often.  So as a way of paying homage to my grandmother and my Cherokee heritage, a Red-tailed Hawk is often featured in many of my stories and poems.  The latest is featured under the prints page on this site and is entitled, "I Saw a Hawk Today".  That really happened, and shortly after the sighting, I was moved to write the poem.  If there are any of you that have had similar experiences, I would love to hear about them.  Just go to my guestbook page and leave a message.  Thanks for reading, and keep it up!