I recently took a walk around my workplace with three destinations in mind. I took a random detour to inspect something in a building, then took another detour to look at a pond behind the building.
I discovered a wet American Goldfinch on a half drowned reed; when I approached for a closer look it flapped/flopped onto the water out of my reach. I then backed off to look for a stick to sweep it into reach and wen I returned, found it clinging to a grate where I could reach around, gently grasp it, and release it in a protected spot where it could dry out. Though still too waterlogged to fly it was quite lively in gaining distance from me.
Did it survive? I don’t know. What I do know is that if I had not chosen to go for a walk at that time, taken one detour, then taken another detour, my encounter would not have taken place.
It is good to ponder lifes’ twists and turns.
(This is not the goldfinch in question.)
