The view above is one of that I found on a river in Wisconsin. It must be hunting season, as I’ve heard five shots ring out since I’ve started typing this. I’m not a hunter and never will be, so I sought out a riverbank instead, content to watch the water flow by. It sure beats whatever I might be doing back in Chicago.
After about ten minutes of watching the river do what it’s always done, I saw some unexpected movement. A procession of about eight kayakers came into view, making their way down the river. They saw me, and I saw them, and we all exchanged pleasantries as they passed by. “Nice day” and “Happy weekend” were the prevailing themes, but one exchange stood out, and inspired me to go and grab my smartphone to capture it. It’s either that or let it drift away into the rest of my memories, where it might have a shelf life of twenty minutes or so. But this deserves a better fate than that.
One of the kayakers, a woman, asked if I was the official greeter for the group. I smiled and told her I was just waiting for the parade to arrive. She liked that answer, and I did too, and she wished me good day as she floated past.
The people who found themselves kayaking down a river probably didn’t consider themselves to be a parade, but from my vantage point on the riverbank, that’s exactly what they were. I recognized them as such, and told one of them about it, and it made both of us smile. Little moments like that are the kind of thing that we could all use more of in our lives.
Before the mosquitoes eat me alive, I better finish this up. We’re all part of a parade sometimes, and we should recognize this possibility and enjoy it whenever we are. Happy day to anyone reading this.
Blue Batting Helmet 