Sitting on Shoulders
Hello, hello, It’s Kleo. Back for another installment of my inner thoughts. I’ve assured Cohen that I will keep it focussed so he doesn’t need to butt in.
This week I thought I’d talk about what life is like perched atop a shoulder. Most certainly in the literal sense and perhaps in the metaphorical sense. Although I’d suppose there aren’t too many metaphorical shoulders for me to sit on.
When Cohen and I first met I spent my time hiding out in pockets, sometimes I could see, sometimes I couldn’t.
I’ll be honest it was a rather squished lifestyle and it was always a relief to plop out on a table.
After a couple weeks I started getting more time in higher up jacket pockets which afforded me a view of the world and the world a view of me.
Even back in those early days of travel I enjoyed the attention. I’ve got such a lovely colouring why wouldn’t people admire. (Cohen starting to frown at me) Getting side tracked… Hmm
Yes, it was a few months before we made the big change and I found myself sitting high on Cohen’s shoulder.
Let me tell you that first year or so was not comfortable. I might be a plush bird but a pin through the claws and tail still hurts.
I was committed though, so with some wrangling Cohen got me positioned for that first evening way back at the Romania Summer Camp in 2022.
With great majesty comes great pain.
Kleo the Kererū
I remember it vividly, we were heading down to the dinner on the first night the kids would be there. I was in a buzz. How was it going to go? What would they think about seeing me?
The reaction was pretty quick, whispers and pointing. I felt I was flying high. The rest of the night passed in a blur lots of kids looking over and coming to say hi, getting to dance the night away with Cohen. It was so much fun.
From there it was all go. Spending the days hanging out with Cohen getting to spy the world from his shoulder. Seeing the excited looks of the kids everyday was such a wonderful feeling. The rest of camps were great and it was sad to end this part of the journey. But life on Cohen’s shoulder wasn’t entirely over.
Over the years since our first camps in Romania I’ve taken plenty of opportunities to jump up to Cohen’s shoulder and see the world. Adventures, Parties, Holidays, and more.
Thankfully Cohen put his crafty skills to the test and we upgraded from safety pins to a harness and magnet contraption. My claws greatly appreciated this upgrade.
Today my time on Cohen’s shoulder is not as often but it’s quite fun when we do hang out that way.
In any case there is still one place that I spend a lot more time on Cohen’s shoulder and indeed flying high above the world. The stories Cohen is writing are such fun and I’m glad that I get to live a whole different life in them.
For me the stories are a way to share some magic with the world, with the children that we met while travelling. Our stories are built upon the spaces and places that we’ve been to which is really exciting. We get to share our own perspective on these places and hopefully inspire in others that same feeling we have to explore the world.
In some ways my being on this journey is inspired by others stories and perspectives.
Cohen has explained often that he had seen people travelling with their own plush companion (or not so plush), taking photos and videos; for the world or even just for a family or child back home. It was those stories that inspired his search for a friend and in doing so finding me.
For both of us this early inspiration has changed our story and life in a way we didn’t expect. Who’d have thought Cohen would publish a Children’s book, or a lonely plush Kererū from the zoo would see the world.
I’m hopeful that our stories spark delight and perhaps a sense of adventure in everyone who read them. Glad to have you all along for the ride.
Well would you look at that, I got from fluffing my own feathers to a philosophical view on stories. I’d call that a good day’s writing.
Until next time,
Kleo the Kererū