Geese Crossing
Last May, on one of my final commutes to the school where I was teaching, deep in thought about polynomials and other things mathematical, something out of the ordinary happened to snap me out of my trance. Suddenly, as I was moving along with the flow of traffic on the well-traveled route, the car in front of me came to an abrupt stop. Likewise, traffic on the other side halted as well. Miraculously, not a car horn was honked, no one stuck his head out a window to yell, “hey…,” and not one person exhibited road rage. There was no loss of composure among the harried commuters who were so inexplicably stopped on their way to work.
Stay all together, now, fellas!
Instead, I saw smiling faces and looks of joyful serenity on the drivers. For there, crossing the road, was the reason for the delay. A family of geese — momma and poppa and their six new babies — were traversing the road. The lead parent was clearly hurrying and, if I can project, a little nervous, but he deftly led his family to safety, secure in the knowledge that, at least for as long as needed, traffic stood still.
We all proceeded on our way after the family was safely across. And maybe — just maybe — some of us thought about what we had just seen during our busy commute. In these days of instant messaging and e-everything, we can still take the time to let nature’s creatures cross the road. And we can do it without grumbling, without alarm and without a rush. Just like in the old days.
- Posted in: Slowing Down
- Tagged: commute, funny, geese family, humor, Road rage, slowing down, traffic, Vehicle horn
(A)Musings by Arlene 
It proves that we’re all a bunch of softies on the inside, and that we know what’s really important. We just need a reminder now and then. Thank you for this one, Arlene.
Those who know me would hardly call me a “softy” but I like to think events like this help to calm my Type A personality!
Thank you for keeping us grounded with this posting. Taking in nature and all its simplistic beauty is worth slowing down for.
Thank you Arlene for sharing and for reminding us to slow down and appreciate life in all its simplicistic beauty. THAT is how life should be lead.
Thanks! Would it be as simple as geese crossing a road to make us all a little more humanistic!
Yeah, it’s hard to look at a family of geese and not smile!
Especially when the geese are the ones who are taking it seriously!
[laugh] Yeah, they are sooooo serious! Father goose is usually giving me the eye as the family walks by. (We have a lot of Canadian geese around here. Big fellas!)