A Public Wow!

A couple of months ago, I spotted a terrible sight on a busy expressway nicknamed “The Surekill.” A car, traveling about four vehicles ahead of me, crashed into the concrete median and popped up into the air. Within seconds, the driver regained control of the car, and stopped in the left hand lane, with significant front-end damage. As several other drivers negotiated around the wreckage, I got stuck behind it and watched the elderly driver emerge from the  accident uninjured. He indicated that another car had switched lanes and cut him off.

How unfortunate. While the aggressive driver zoomed away scot-free, this elderly man faced a huge repair bill. We never can tell what the day will bring. The best we can do is to expect the unexpected. Watch the major surprise one young lady received:

                                         https://youtu.be/YH4a-XBFUmw

What a perfect finish to a great day! It’s hard to tire of those videos, especially when we consider the sacrifices made. With May less than a month away, expect to see more surprises like that one. Who knows? Maybe you’ll be part of the fun. What’s the best surprise you’ve ever received?     

 

     

Flying the Coop

What a gift it is to have such a wide variety of bird life in our community.  At any given moment, we can glance outside and see enormous robins (who ate well during our warm winter), cardinals, blue jays, even woodpeckers and humming birds. I enjoy regular sightings of the neighborhood blue jay as its cautious mate perches nearby. Our house cat seems to enjoy seeing the pair, too. Simply seeing the birds together prompts me to run for the camera.

Last week, I went to the curb to bring back the garbage can and discovered a small collection of feathers littering the area. I wondered what had caused a bird to lose so many feathers. Was food in such short supply that a bird and raccoon tussled over the garbage? Not likely. The plot thickened after I found a second scattering of feathers a few feet away. Then, tucked beside the curb, I spotted a motionless blue jay lying on its back. The poor bird probably went looking for seeds and now, somewhere in the trees, its mate waits for food that won’t come and a mate that's gone.

Speaking of gone, June is the time of the year when students make plans to “fly the coop.” High school students graduate and prepare to move from their parent’s homes into dorm rooms. College students leave the security of dorm life and go out into the real world. The end of a school year feels like a time of change. Some people greet this season with excitement and anticipation of the future, while others harbor melancholy thoughts about the life left behind. Here’s an amusing video of a little boy girl with a big personality and even bigger plans for the future:

When kids move from one level to the next, we often feel a combination of apprehension and excitement. We wonder if they are adequately prepared for the future. Rest assured, they usually are and if not, they figure it out. In general, what are you feeling about your future?       

And Then We Will Change

It’s that time of the year again—and so bittersweet—as graduates of all levels move on to the next phase of life. I’m certain that someone you know is graduating from somewhere. Count the number of times you’ll say, “Seems like just yesterday….” I get nostalgic thinking about these changes. That's when I like to gaze at old pictures of the graduate pretending to be a teacher, a ballerina, a superhero or a famous wrestler.  

Here’s a song that seems to echo the sentiments of this time of the year. Close your eyes and listen for a bit.

Ms. Vaughn has quite a voice.  You’ll hum that tune for at least a week.

Although my children won’t graduate for some time, one of them decided to do a thorough bedroom cleaning, actually it resembled a purging. We ended up giving away an art set, markers, books and games, and the whole time I kept asking, “Are you sure you don’t want that?” and “You’re not using these anymore?” Feeling a little sad by the end of the process, I felt like shouting, “Don’t grow up so fast!”

While I often wish that all of us aged more slowly, from a broader perspective, I’m actually a proponent of change. I’m a been-there-done-that-so-what’s-next kind of person. Change can be great—once we get used to it. In spite of my tiny tendency to complain about new formats, instructions and procedures, (and by the way, why did the U.S. mint change the coin designs?), I try to embrace opportunities to venture into new territory. What about you?

Surprising things can happen from a few minor changes. What personal changes will you make in your life this year?