One of those strange things...

How often does something happen to you that's just plain strange?

My average is less than a percent, but I might have upped it to a whole number the other day. It was a casual afternoon. I was enjoying a baseball game, despite the intermittent allergy twinges, with my co-workers. It was early in the 9th and a gust of wind blew through our section. With it came an unexpected friend, a yellow butterfly.

The wind's overpowering gust carried this little creature past the people in front of me until he landed on my seat. It was hard not to miss his arrival with his bright exterior. His landing was less than smooth as I watched him clumsily try to right himself. When I noticed his difficulty I offered him a hand, rather my thumb. And this is when it happened.

Without any hesitancy he not only accepted my offer of assistance, he gratefully crawled all the way onto my thumb and stopped there, content. Now I don't know about you but butterflies don't willfully crawl onto my fingers everyday. Despite my desire to be someone like Mary Poppins who can sing along with birds in a conversation, nature has never latched onto me like my little friend did.

I watched him in great shock, for not only did he seem happy to remain perched on my thumb but he also seemed to trust me. At one point another evil gust of wind blew through our section, and like a mom throwing my arm like an added seat belt towards the passengers seat, my other hand flew up to protect him from the gust. Now most rightfully skiddish creatures would retreat at this sudden movement, but not my little friend. He just sat on my thumb. And he did so for another 15-20 minutes without any sign of retreat. At one point his tongue even gave my skin a taste as he crawled further down my thumb toward my palm.

Now if you recall I mentioned this all began at the beginning of the 9th inning, and all things must reach an end. Seeing that I couldn't very well take my little friend with me, I don't think the car ride would have suited him, I carefully encouraged him to take refuge behind a steal beam where the wind's dauntless pursuit could not reach his frail frame.

I hope he's made it further than the ball park. Maybe found a nice little garden where he can settle, marry and make other yellow butterflies. But wherever he is today, I am grateful for the moment he gave me. One of those strange little things...