Here are three things about my life.
One. My name is Polly, as most of you know. The title of the blog gives that away every day.
Anyway, there are a lot of phrases around the name. And also associations.
One of the most common is Polly the Parrot. Polly want a cracker? You know the drill.
But how did it become the “default” name for parrots? Well, the exact reason isn’t known, but historians have pointed out a few factors.
Pet parrots became fashionable in Britain during the 1700s as ships returned from the Caribbean, Africa, and South America. Those birds traveled back with the sailors. And the pirates.
As such, the owners often gave parrots ordinary human names, and Polly was one of the most common female names of the time.
Because parrots mimic speech, they frequently repeated their own names. “Polly! Polly!” So, in that way too, the association grew.
By the late 1700s and early 1800s, books, songs, and plays were already referring to parrots as “Polly.” And it stuck.
So here is another thing. Andrew Jackson certainly wasn’t the best president, but he did have a parrot.
And get this. During Jackson’s funeral in 1845, his pet parrot had to be removed because its swearing was disturbing attendees. And wouldn’t you know? The bird’s name was Poll or Pol, which was short for Polly.
She was an African grey parrot, a species famous for its remarkable ability to mimic human speech. Jackson bought Poll in 1827 for $25 as a gift for his wife, Rachel. After Rachel died later that year, Jackson became very attached to the bird.
And when he died, the parrot swore like a drunken sailor. According to Rev. William Menefee Norment, who attended the funeral, Poll became excited by the large crowd and “commenced swearing so loud and long as to disturb the people and had to be carried from the house.” Norment later added that the parrot let loose “perfect gusts of cuss words.”
Jackson was famous for his fiery temper and colorful language. Since parrots simply imitate what they hear, most people assumed Poll learned its vocabulary from Jackson or others around the household.
I should add here that Jackson was the seventh president. Seven is my favorite number. But again, he was not my favorite president. At all.
Two. I used to love to bowl. I started at an early age and bowled often as an adult. Just today, I found out that according to PBA rules, a bowling ball can have up to 11 holes. All of my bowling balls just had three. That’s how I roll.
And finally.
Three. All my life, my blood pressure has been really low. Until recently. Probably the last year or so. It went sky high. Why? I do not know. But with that, I have to take BP meds. I wish I didn’t.
But I am not alone. According to the most recent data from the CDC, about 48% of U.S. adults have high blood pressure (hypertension). That’s approximately 120 million Americans, or nearly 1 in every 2 adults.
And we are not alone. I also just found out that giraffes have the highest blood pressure of any mammal. Theirs is around 300/180. But their hearts weigh 25 pounds, so they are built for it.
So there are three things about me. Sort of. I’m special that way. Me. The parrot. The bowlers. The giraffes.
Life is full of wonder. Isn’t it?
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“Curiosity is one of the permanent and certain characteristics of a vigorous intellect.” — Samuel Johnson
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“There are no ordinary moments.” — Dan Millman
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“Life isn’t measured by what we know, but by what still makes us wonder.” — Stephen Tobias
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