A Message For Those With Their Head in the Sand
Here’s one for the “believe it or not” list: ostriches do not hide their heads in the sand. I know – you’re thinking “get OUT!” I was as shocked as the next person. Apparently, while they do not bury their head, they will sometimes lie on the ground trying to make themselves look inconspicuous. According to The Phrase Finder:
The story also relies on the supposed stupidity of ostriches, and of birds in general. In fact, there's little to support that either as birds have a significantly larger brain to weight ratio than many other species of animal. The notion is that the supposedly dumb ostrich believes that if it can't see its attacker then the attacker can't see it. This was nicely reformed as a joke on Douglas Adams' 'Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy', in which the 'Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal' was described as 'so mind-bogglingly stupid that it assumes that if you can't see it, then it can't see you.'
Birds are not stupid (at least not all of them), and I find it difficult to believe that a bird that merely lies about hoping not to be avoided (such as one might do at a high school or college reunion) is intellectually deficient. So if ostriches don’t hide their heads in the sand, why do people struggling with high house payments often do just the opposite?
There are many reasons for it. The less one has to look at something uncomfortable, the less likely it will be bothersome. Homeowners might have a list of regrets, but that does not make them “mind-bogglingly stupid.” Hiding one’s head however, does not make the problems go away.
Far too often, I meet with people who are facing a foreclosure auction. Tomorrow. Or the next day. Or perhaps in an hour or two. In some cases, I meet with people where the auction has already taken place, and they are facing eviction. I have even received calls from folks who are telling me there is a tow truck in their drive way.
There’s no way I can assure anyone with their head in the sand that when – or if – they take their head out, we can make things better. No bankruptcy lawyer with any credibility can assure everyone of that; every case presents different facts, different creditors, and different issues.
I can say confidently that having one’s head in the sand will most likely complicate matters. Debtors can expect to spend more in legal fees, can expect more uncertainty and risk in the bankruptcy process (along with the sleepless nights that may accompany it), and ultimately can expect to learn that the only person they hurt is themselves.
Speaking of hurting yourself: to this date, I still hate taking off a band-aid, especially if it covered a nasty cut or scrape or was located on my arm or leg where there’s more hair. My mom always told me to just rip it off. She was a nurse (and you’d think she would recommend something more gentle). Despite this sage advice, I still pull the corners, let it run under water, and hope I can gently lift the adhesive bandage without experiencing the same pain felt by those seeking a body waxing (if anyone has a better idea how to remove it, please let me know). Sometimes it works, but honestly, not too often. Most of the time, after taking it off millimeter by millimeter, I realize the only thing I can do is follow mom’s advice, and just rip the darn thing off. Perhaps I just need to grow up. Perhaps I just need to be buy better quality bandages. Either way, the discomfort I end up feeling is only momentary and I can move on.
Even if ostriches did hide their heads in the sand, they would ultimately have to come up for air or food. I imagine that they would have to lift the head out of the hole they have dug, and let their eyes adjust to the bright sunlight before moving on to find a good meal. The discomfort would be only momentary, but at least they could move on.
