Hercules

It started out as an ordinary evening of chores. “Sarah, close the chicken coop door. Kate, make sure the rabbit’s water bottle is not frozen.” All tasks seemed to be accomplished-horses munching; cow ruminating; chickens roosting; bunnies hopping; hog grunting; sheep jostling for position and goats…hey, there should be two goats. “Girls, Hercules is missing. Has anyone seen him?”

Hercules and his older sister, Clover, were grey pygmy goats. My daughters had crowned him Hercules because even as a tiny kid, he was a daredevil. Climbing up onto the walls of the barn, chasing bicycles, running to the beach to watch the girls swim, Hercules wanted to  be wherever there was action. He was especially fond of suppertime and his graham cracker treats. Where was he?

The winter nights were long and it was dark in the barnyard when we started our search. The girls and the dog began looking in the riding ring, along the driveway and down at the house. I headed down the dirt road towards the draft horse barn. Maybe somehow he had gotten into that building and gotten locked in, or found a way into the grain room. The moon was brilliant and it was easier to see without the flashlight. The snow was crunching under foot when I heard something odd. I stopped and listened once more. It was a scratching sound and sort of a crumple. The sound was coming from the pond on my left. I peered into the darkness and there it was again. It was then I saw him.

Hercules was boldly heading across the ice towards the middle of the pond. I called to him in desperation. The edges were frozen but the center was open. I could not walk out there to save him. The pressure of my weight made a cracking sound as I called once more. He turned towards me and seemed to skip with joy. Over his head, blinding him to his peril was a grain bag. He had obviously pulled it from the garbage can, put his head in to lick the crumbs and his horns had become snared. Was he bumbling around aimlessly or was he brashly continuing his evening rounds? What I do know is if I hadn’t found him within seconds, he would have fallen through the ice and drowned. I was shaking from the what ifs and he was totally unaffected. It was just another adventure to Hercules.

This scenario popped into my head the other day as I contemplated a job offer. It made me laugh to think about how many times we think we see all the options when we really are bumbling in the dark. How many times are we positive we know exactly where we are going when it ends up we are headed towards a cliff? Hercules almost traded a few sweet crumbs for his life. I have to hand it to him; he was doing it with confidence. 

Time will tell what my decision will be. I haven’t seen all the options yet. I have faith that my choice will be exactly what it should be.