Everyday Surprises

Today was one of those days where simple things, things that I probably see and do pretty regularly, seemed particularly surprising.

There was my lunch-time walk with a co-worker in the warm sunshine, the light breeze blowing, the smell of flowers in the air and the sounds of ships drifting off the Bay. I was almost too enthralled in the beauty of the day to pay attention to the conversation we were having, except that certain observations about my boss were exceptionally funny in the moment.

There was a conversation with my Dad, in which I learned that while he was in the Navy he had been stationed in Brooklyn for a year and a half. It stunned me that in 31 years of life, I don't ever remember knowing details about my Dad's time in the Navy. I knew he had served, and the approximate time-frame of his enlistment, but I had no idea that he was a Sailor for 4 years, that he was also stationed in Florida and South Carolina, or that he'd traveled to England, France and other European countries. It was almost like I was meeting him for the first time.

There were the husband and wife Mallards, nuzzling in the park near my home. They were sitting in the tall grass, almost hidden from my sight, just a few feet from the curb. The man-Mallard, with his shining green feathers, sat beak-to-beak with his missus. In the middle of the city, two ducks fell in love.

There was the friendliness of strangers as I walked in the cooling evening through my new neighborhood. The woman walking her dog, who met my eyes and said hello. The couple spreading grass seed in their yard. The young man who cat-called from his porch and asked if I was out exercising. It seems the sun brings out the best in everyone.

So many wonderful surprises in one day. I hope that doesn't mean I've used up my surprising moments rations for the month.