It was a mid-day visit yesterday at Circle B and while we knew that the temperature wouldn’t be ideal, I needed to escape work and do something enjoyable.
Yes, a couple of the trails were still closed because of aggressive alligator mating season, but the upside was that on a Friday around lunch time there would be almost no one else there.
As it turned out we saw less than five other people along the way and the temperature wasn’t too bad either.
We took the trail down to Lake Hancock and spotted a number of the usual suspects; Osprey, Herons, Egrets, Alligators, and even a Red Shouldered Hawk.
The surprising aspect was that when we reached the lake and particularly when we went out the small pier, we noticed how still the waters were. There seemed to be no movement at all and in some instances, a small layer of scum seemed to hug the waters as they approached the shoreline.
On the way back to the car we encountered lots of Butterflies, most of which were impossible for me to shoot as they kept moving. And on a picnic table spotted a fabulous Grasshopper who seemed very aware of me and so I took my shots quickly so as not to disturb him. The surface that he was on, made for a great setting.
I have loaded a number of the shots at the end of this blog and I hope you enjoy.
“Still waters run deep” was the initial thought that I left Circle B with, although clearly some of those fish would argue that it didn’t run deep enough.
But the thought stuck with me this past 24 hours and led to my thoughts for today’s blog.
You see, sometimes we look at people that keep to themselves and say nothing as “deeper” than the rest of us. “It’s the quiet ones that you have to watch” was something I heard a lot in Ireland growing up.
But the truth is that there is nothing admirable in being a still water. Sometimes it is simply because these people don’t have any thoughts worth sharing anyway. Similarly for the quiet ones that we are watching.
“Say nothing ’till you hear more” was often an advice given to people around me in an attempt to stifle their opinions until they were better informed.
But the truth is that quick opinions, gut reactions, and immediate responses, form the cornerstone of forward movement in our lives. People that deploy such concepts are generally the ones that make things happen, bring about change, and influence others.
Those who hold onto their opinion until all others have spoken are rarely heard and very often dismissed. This is because those engaging with or listening to the first voices, have already been influenced and are beginning to make their minds up. Some (the sheep) will have even already made their mind up on the very first input from those being vocal.
“Choosing your moment to speak” is advised as if it is a wisdom but it is wiser to make yourself heard and possibly be wrong that not being heard at all, even when you are right.
So, I guess what I am trying to say here is that if you have an opinion or a position on anything, it is important for you to get that opinion or position out there. Yes, there is always the possibility that you will be wrong. Maybe you will even be laughed at. But even this is part of life’s learning process.
Don’t be afraid to voice your thoughts as soon as you have them. Imagine the regret of the first mate on the Titanic who thought it might not be entirely prudent to race headlong into the dark waters, knowing that there were icebergs nearby, but said nothing.
Our biggest regrets in life are rarely about the things we have done but rather those we have not.
… just a thought!
