Claremore Musings: I’m Not a Duck

Today I went to Claremore Lake with Latte. (For those of you who don’t know me, Latte is my Chihuahua.) I wanted to do something different, and I thought she would enjoy it. It was also a beautiful day, and I wanted to take advantage of it. So after we went to the bank and the post office, we drove out to Claremore Lake.

We found a nice spot to park. I put Latte’s leash on her, and she darted out of the car. She was off immediately exploring all the new smells that the lake has to offer. After a short walk, I found a nice rocky area to sit down. Latte continued to explore as I gazed out at the lake. Across the lake, a couple was feeding the ducks. It started out as ducks and then as word spread across the lake, more birds came to see what was on the menu. Soon there were swans and finally a family of geese. I saw a black and white speckled duck; at least I assume it was a duck. I had never seen that coloring on a duck before.

All of the birds were quacking and clucking or whatever noise they make. I was surprised that Latte was not bothered by the noise. She was happy to sniff to her heart’s content. Suddenly, I started thinking about life and I thought about how peaceful it was to be sitting on the side of the lake. I told Latte that we really need to do this more often. Of course, she would love that. She is not the one stopping us from going to the lake more often.

I was thinking about being a duck. What if I was a duck? Then I thought again about the fact that there are reasons why I am not a duck. Ducks don’t have to worry about anything. They float along and when they need to they bob underwater to get a drink or cool off, I’m not sure which. They don’t have a grand purpose beyond just being. (Ok, so I am sure someone is thinking that people hunt and eat duck, but for a moment let’s just pretend we don’t do that. Okay?) God didn’t make me a duck. He could have. It would have been no problem for Him to say, “Hey you, go be a duck.” But He has a bigger purpose for me than being a duck. He has a plan for my life as a human. So today I am happy that I took the time to go watch the ducks, but I am also happy that I am not a duck. Take time out of your day to enjoy something simple and just relax.

I know this was a silly story. That’s the point. Quack. Quack.