I am Here... Where are You?

Eight years ago I heard a biology professor speak about migratory songbirds. He said that most birds out in the wild use "phatic communication." This kind of communication isn't about specific information; rather, it's about sharing feelings and establishing a mood of sociability and community. In other words, if you see two birds' little feathered breasts heaving with effort, endlessly chirping back and forth to one another, the exchange might be translated like this:

Bird #1: I am here...where are you?
Bird #2: I'm here...where are you?

And so on and so on and so on. Maybe this is reassuring for them; it was very reassuring for me to know that I'm not the only creature in the world who does this sort of thing. The Lost Soul Companion is really just me perched high on my branch, standing on one leg singing, I am here...where are you?