This is Digby Pancake. Some things you expect on a travel day.
You expect traffic.
You expect to get a little lost.
You expect to be tired when you get there.
But you don’t expect to have a welcoming committee of peacocks. Yes. Peacocks.
There have been a lot of “p” words in our house on wheels lately. Girl Person has Poison oak everywhere. So much so, that she may become an oak tree pretty soon.
Also, there is the other word that starts with P. Please stop itching girl person. Please.
Yesterday, we decided that our drive was just too long. Girl Person wasn’t feeling good. Boy Person had too much to do to Pack up. Another “p” word. And well, just couldn’t make it to the area we planned to. So we stopped in an area called Santa Paula, California.
It was Pretty.
It was so pretty, that I almost forgot it was dinner time. Almost. But Girl Person said we had waited long enough. And even though we had an audience of peacocks, I ate it right up. Except for the Peas. Because I hate peas with a capital P.
And I thought hey. As long as the peacocks were there, maybe they could eat my peas. Maybe it would even be like I was nice to share. At least that what others would think. But they wouldn’t know I just didn’t like…peas.
The peacocks sure ate my peas, and they tried to eat everything else in their path.
And as I listened to them make their peacock noises and watched them eat my peas I left, I really thought about it. Sure. I had given away something. But it was out of my “extras”. My surplus…what I didn’t even want. So was I really giving at all?
Sometimes it takes little effort to give something to someone else we have extra of. But what about the things we have little of? Like time…patience..love…understanding?
That may be in our short supply. But it is more valuable than anything we own.
So peacocks? I am glad you liked my peas.
But you are welcome that I didn’t bark too loud at you like Brickle.
You are welcome that I didn’t chase you away from our picnic table. P may be for peacock…but it is also for perhaps. Perhaps peas may not be my favorite. But the next time I share…I will instead share a pancake. After all, pancakes are priceless.
-Digby Pancake
