One Turtle at a Time

So, there we were, three people, three cars blocking the road, all because of a turtle. If anyone had seen us, they'd have thought we were "touched in the head." And we were touched, but in a way we didn't anticipate. This is how it all happened.

I was on my way to school to attend to some minor business. Nothing serious, just the kind you feel better handling in person rather than over the phone or by email. When you're asking for something, "no" is less easily said face to face. Turned out, I was right and I'm glad I went.

About halfway there I noticed something small and dark crossing the road. I was almost on top of it, literally, when I realized it was a turtle and I swerved to avoid hitting it. At the rate it's going, I thought, the odds are pretty good its journey will be cut short before it reaches the other side. So I turned around, Beggar to the rescue.

I happened to notice a pickup truck do likewise and I wondered if its driver and I had the same idea. We had just pulled over as a third driver stopped, got out and helped the little guy/gal across the road onto a patch of grass. The truck driver commented, "Well, we've all done our good deed for the day."

I responded, "There's something else going on here. Want to know what it is?"

He gave me a quizzical look and I explained, "You've got a Bush sticker on your truck and I've got an Obama sticker on mine, yet here we are, brought together by our concern for a little turtle." He got the point, smiled, we said our farewells and drove away, his radio likely tuned to George Strait while I cranked up the volume on the Goo Goo Dolls.

It's a pretty good guess he and I voted somewhat differently this past November, but that no longer mattered. Maybe that's how we do this, I mused. We change the world one turtle at a time.