I love the Heron in this picture that I took last week at Discovery Park in Seattle. I’m told it is a Great Blue Heron. Teresa and I were walking some of the park’s trails enjoying varied sights of the Puget Sound and its coastal forest. It was just a great summer day in Seattle. And a much needed walk.
Herons are a discovery to me. I don’t know them well. They stand out to me as being so unique — they are not birds that I grew up with. Wingspan of six feet. They eat fish, amphibians, and even small mammals and other birds. The nest in colonies. To see this one across the pond was a highlight in my day. I felt wonder.
I like the thought that went behind Discovery Park, or perhaps even most, the naming. It’s more than 500 acres preserved to explore that habitat of many birds in particular. Discovery.
There are days when I don’t feel like discovery anything — this day at Discovery Park was not one of them. There are days when my curiosity has run dry and I don’t want to welcome anything new. There are days when many of us feel this, working with teams and groups of people. We are just trying to get on. To get by. To respond to the deep todo lists that are more about putting out fires than exploring new frontiers.
Discovery, however, is an attitude and disposition. I’m glad that I had a couple of grandmothers that taught me this, even though they may not have said it so explicitly. Discovery is about learning. Learning is about accepting that there are many mysteries and much that is unknown. Discovery is about letting go and throwing oneself into what lays ahead.
There are days when all I need is a bit of open-ended discovery. There are days when this is what we need in our groups and teams. Some discovery. A newness. A distraction from the todo lists. A Great Blue Heron and a park that invites timeless wandering. Thanks Discovery Park for a much appreciated moment.
