What can one say about a little owl who made an unforgettable impact on not only the nation but the whole world?

It’s all too easy to say, “He’s just an owl,” imagining that in being dismissive, somehow the difference that Flaco made in the lives of millions of people might be diminished.

But reducing the significance of something in our own minds never alters the breadth of its meaning, and Flaco’s year of freedom and how it affected the world is no exception.

In case you think that appreciation for owls is a new phenomenon, it should be noted that owls have been regarded with admiration and even a certain amount of awe for centuries. In ancient mythology, the goddess of wisdom, Athena, was said to have chosen the owl as her companion, and owls have continued to be associated with wisdom, knowledge, intelligence, perspicacity, vigilance, and enlightenment throughout history. In more recent times, such well known public figures as social reformer and modern nursing founder Florence Nightingale and painter and sculptor Pablo Picasso have kept owls as pets, with Florence choosing to bestow the name Athena on her pet screech owl, whom she rescued from abusive bullies on a trip to Italy.

And in a way, that is what fearless Flaco became for all of us – a pet for the millions of people who loved him. He represented the underbird who nobody thinks will be able to survive yet who manages to thrive like a feathered samurai.

From perching on water towers to visiting the fire escapes of surprised NYC residents and peering in their windows, Flaco was as much debonair bandit as he was regal prince. One might find him just as readily devouring rat sushi as posing for the hootarazzi like the owlcon that he was.

Unsurprisingly, Flaco’s owlventures became the subject du jour in news publications around the world and as he quickly became the world’s most photographed owl, we who followed his escapades awaited each new episode of The Flaco Chronicles with as much anticipation as that of a child eager to open presents on Christmas morning.

There are some who feel this worldwide fixation on a single owl is not only peculiar but downright ridiculous. In trying to strengthen their case, they bring up news they feel is of much graver import – such as casualties in Gaza and the war in the Ukraine. Sadly, in pointing towards these seemingly more “important” issues and attempting to diminish the significance of Flaco and his life by doing so, these people – however well intentioned they may be- are only making it clear why we became so captivated by and attached to Flaco in the first place.

Although I don’t want to make this about me when it’s mostly about Flaco, what I am about to share does relate to Flaco. And because it may strike a chord with someone else, I feel I should share it.

Like Flaco, I was somewhat of a captive for a large portion of my life. The decisions that should have been made by me, both big and small, were made for me by those parental and authority figures who had power over me and my life.

Thus, seeing Flaco start afresh, breaking free from the shackles of the zoo that had so thoroughly suppressed his free spirited self, ignited in me a spark of hope, making me feel that I could do the same. Of course, unlike a person, whose attempts to achieve freedom might be hindered by all kinds of complications such as intimidation, threats, and similar psychologically manipulative strategies, Flaco was able to liberate himself rather effortlessly. And aside from a few unsuccessful attempts to recapture him, Flaco soared high on the wings of freedom, with the enthusiastic support of thousands upon thousands of fans providing the wind beneath his wings.

As those who are continuing to follow the rise and fall of Flaco know all too well, there are two opposing parties who, although sharing a mutual love of Flaco, disagree (and sometimes vehemently) as to whether returning Flaco to the zoo that he escaped from would have been better than allowing him to remain free.

I have always felt that keeping an open mind means trying to understand different perspectives, whether one agrees with them or not. For much of what we learn in life is taught to us through our relationships with others. Even those who wish to remain solitary are forced to coexist with other sentient beings.

That being said, although I can see why those who believe Flaco’s life was put at dire risk by him being thrust into an unknown city filled with a plethora of dangers feel as they do, the lasting impact Flaco has made on a world yearning for a beacon of hope, freedom and resilience such as he represented, would never have occurred if he has stayed in or been returned to a cage. So, although I am not saying the vandal who presumably inadvertently enabled his escape should not bear some repercussions for his or her actions, what I am saying is that without that event taking place, Flaco’s life would have been one of the average captive owl, forgotten in both life and death, with no lasting impact on anyone aside from his zookeepers and the visitors who strolled past his cage.

Lest you think I am saying that Flaco’s early death was a sacrifice worth making because of the difference he made on the world through his year of freedom, that is not my intention nor is it what I believe.

Yet, as is often the case in life, remarkable achievements generally come at a cost. The world is difficult enough when one has everything going in one’s favor. For Flaco, the odds were stacked against his wings, even as he soared to astounding heights, taking us with him on each new peak of owlventure.

I think, if you and I and anyone who happens to be reading this are honest with ourselves, we will admit that, in our hearts, we don’t think owls were ever intended to be kept in cages. Owls are wild, free beings, and even when they have been kept as pets, the incidents of them being kept in that capacity have been few and far between.

And if owls were not supposed to be wild and free, we wouldn’t have been so entranced by Flaco’s journey. We were rooting for him because we knew that he was finally getting a chance to do what he had been created to do from the beginning. He was fulfilling his calling as a bird in the wild, and, even though New York was far from the ideal place for him to embrace his mission, it happened to be where he ended up, and relocating him appeared to be a problematic venture. With each new rat Flaco procured for his dinner, we became more and more convinced that his innate hunting skills were taking over and that he was getting accustomed to depending on himself.

For many of us, Flaco’s success when it came to defying the odds made us feel better equipped to handle obstacles in our own lives. His bravery gave us the hope we needed to face uncertain tomorrows of our own and his tenacity made us feel that we might be stronger than we often give ourselves credit for.

But more than anything else, Flaco showed us that in spite of our differences as a society, when we find a common love to share, we can come together in a way that is truly miraculous. And through this coming together, we can forge connections that would never have come about any other way.

In life, we tend to find the meaning in an event or set of circumstances that we are ready to accept. If we are not prepared to grasp or benefit from a certain lesson or message, then, no matter how ostensibly the universe tries to get us to hear it, our ears will remain deaf.

Those who choose to see Flaco’s life as needlessly cut short or who decide to see it as a tragedy, will never understand what Flaco intended for his life to mean. He truly wanted to be part of the great, big world outside his cage and beyond the zoo.

Perhaps, Flaco knew that he could give something to the world that we needed. Maybe he knew that we were in want of a reminder that life is not about how many breaths you take or how many days you live but rather about how many breathtaking moments you experience and how many lives you touch along the way.

No, nothing can bring Flaco back to this earth, but if we live our lives differently because of him, if we give more grace when it is needed, both to ourselves and others, if we learn to face our fears more readily, rather than ignoring them or running away from them, and, most importantly of all, if we develop the capacity to look beyond gender, race, spiritual and political beliefs and see ourselves united through our common humanity – as we have been through our love of Flaco – then Flaco’s life will have never been in vain.

Peace & Blessings,

Sascha 🦉

This page and all written material at A Pilgrim’s Odyssey is written by Sascha Norris. (C) Copyright 2023-2024 by Sascha Norris. All Rights Reserved.

Photos of Flaco are (cover) by David Barrett (i.e., Manhattan Bird Alert) and (article collage) by Mark, known as Above_96th on Twitter/X and Instagram.

Thank you to those photographers, including David and Mark, who captured Flaco’s unparalleled beauty so magnificently in photos and videos.