What We Do

Clinging to the skin as a plastic wrap to a soup dish the morning air engulfed this aging PD host as we exited the “climate controlled” house. Soon we were speeding down the country road chilling ourselves with the flow of pressure cooled air in the vehicle designed for transport and comfort. Merging cautiously onto the bypass with vehicles speeding by we adjusted our speed to travel at a steady pace toward our planned destination. In the road ahead and in the passing lane to the left, a small box turtle was making its way toward the west ever so slowly. The creature had already made it through one lane on this fast paced roadway and was just about half way across the passing lane. If the turtle was to make the journey to a point yet to be discovered midst the forested byway, it had to make it through the highway median and another two lanes of fast paced traffic moving in the opposite direction. I wondered what the chances would be as I recalled just the week before anther box turtle on a two lane country road that was attempting a crossing as I was passing by and then discovering on my return a short while later the smashed remains of the turtle in the middle of the lane. As I sped by today’s box turtle I pondered that box turtle’s state. Was it dumb to tackle that dangerous pathway to a destination unforeseen? Or, was it brave to pursue its desires for adventure and change? Suddenly I realized that I was projecting my reasoning abilities (and sometimes lack thereof) onto a little box turtle who was doing what box turtles do; move from one place to another in search of food and or another box turtle. Sometimes, I think, the thoughts along our journey are too deep and at other times not deep enough. Today I am grateful for the ability to do what humans do; sometimes foolishly, sometimes bravely, sometimes fearfully, sometimes fearlessly, sometimes angrily, sometimes peacefully and I pray more and more often that we do things lovingly!