Wildlife In The City

There’s always things that I’m surprised by. One of those is wildlife in the city. Having been born and raised in the city, I rarely saw any wild animals in the city. Normally I would see squirrels, birds, or a rabbit.

That is until recently.

Within the last year or two, I’ve spotted lots of different wildlife. Just last week, my wife and I were on our way home from the movies when we decided to take a ride down by the lake. On our way home we came across two deer in front of someones house. I was driving and didn’t notice the deer. My wife pointed at the deer and I just had to stop.

The deer were just grazing on a patch of grass and paid us no mind. They gently munched on the grass and frolicked in the grass. Being adventurous I opened my door and made a bit of noise. The deer still did nothing. Finally, I made some more noise and shut the door. The deer took off across the street and behind a couple of houses.

I’ve also spotted turkeys in the city. Near a busy street, there’s an incomplete subdivision. Turkeys live in the wooded area of the subdivision and make their way to the side of the road once in awhile. It’s breath taking to see a flock of turkeys walking in the grass with not a care in the world.

These views of the wildlife could have easily been missed. We often fly through the city only intent on our destination. I wonder how many things in life we miss because we’re not paying attention. We miss the swaying of the trees, a child playing at a park, or the awesome wildlife that just happen to be closer than we think.

I’d like to challenge you today. While you are out and about, slow down and look around. See the small things that you may normally pass by. There may just be something that catches your eye and takes your breath away.

Question: Do you need to slow down and see the things that are on the sidelines of your life? What are you missing because you are moving through life too fast? Please post a comment with your answer.