The Magnificent Moose
Expect the Unexpected
One would think that at my age (I’ll never tell) I would be accustomed to unexpected surprises—-whether good or bad! But I’m not. When an unexpected even occurs in my life, it always seems to be about a connection. Something to confirm in my life that I’m “on the right path.” These little confirmations are divinely prepared to touch and encourage me to continue on my path. I’m struggling to find a word passionate to describe them.
I’m vacationing with friends in Winter Park, CO. Yesterday we decided to bundle up and brave the brutal cold——It was about 11 degrees at lunch time. There are art shops and restaurants nearby so we headed out walking to explore the area. One block down from our condo we turned onto a cross street and right there—standing majestically—about 3 houses down was a big beautiful female moose. She stepped onto the street and walked across our upcoming path. I was astounded. Had we left the condo 3 mnutes later we would’ve come face to face with her.
We continued our path quietly so as not to alarm her. She was grazing on scrubby bushes next to a house, probably the homeowner’s flower bed. She lifted her head and turned to stare straight at me as I snapped a pic while continuing to walk slowly past. My heart skipped a beat with excitement combined with a rush of fear.
I’ve taken this trip knowing that by the time it’s over I will have an explosion of creativity and some answers to questions I’ve had about my future. Can I really retire at the end of this school year? What other job do I want? Where do I want to live?
Meeting this majestic creature caused us to step into a nearby bar where we sat with some fascinating new friends. As we talked they told us it’s very unusual to see a moose in town wandering between the houses. As the conversation—and our drinks—flowed, we discovered that we need each other as business contacts. I traveled to 8500 ft up a Colorado mountain destined to meet and collaborate with contacts in Austin…..wow….that’s a God thing.