Deer and Canada Geese aren’t exactly favorites of the animal world, at least not in urban settings where ecological imbalances enable their proliferation. We’ve lost quite a few young trees and too-many-to-count landscaping plants to deer. Geese have never met a sidewalk they didn’t poop on.
But lately I’ve found myself appreciating something about both.
Since school let out a couple weeks ago, I no longer need to drop Ila off at Indianola Informal K-8 near the church…ever again, since she’s moving on to 9th grade. Sigh. This means I’ve been able to bike the four miles into church most weekdays. The majority of that distance is along the Olentangy Trail. It’s an active trail with bikers, runners, and walkers most times of day. And deer and geese. Which I’ve found myself appreciating.
Surprisingly, I’ve appreciated deer and geese being in my way.
On the morning commute I’m thinking about the household chores I’m leaving behind, starting to mentally run through the tasks of the day. In the evening I’m decompressing from tasks even as I’m starting to think about home duties. Both ways I’m trying to move fast but not arrive a sweaty mess.
Deer and geese have none of these concerns and they seem to care very little that I have places to go. They cause me to slow down and ponder another form of existence.
Thanks deer and geese for being in my way. I probably need that every once in a while. Or every twice in a day.
Joel