A couple of weeks ago I was out for one of my daily walks. We live in neighbourhood that is well inside the city, so what happened was a surprise. A deer was on one of the lawns. It saw me, but by the time I had my cell phone and camera out is was two blocks away. Just the same, it was an unexpected moment to bethoroughly enjoyed.
The deer’s unexpected appearance reminded me of what Thich Nhat Hanh says about the ordinary being part of the extraordinary. We just have to remain open.
When I am quiet,
When I just am,
Openings appear;
Something shows itself.
In those ordinary moments,
Miracles appear,
Making the moment (extra)ordinary,
The enjoyment exceeds itself.
We took this picture in Waterton Lakes National Park. I walked around a corner and one of the young ones was within arm’s length, but separated from the doe. I stayed still, until mother and child reunited.
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About ivonprefontaine
In keeping with bell hooks and Noam Chomsky, I consider myself a public and dissident intellectual. Part of my work is to move beyond (transcend) institutional dogmas that bind me to defend freedom, raising my voice to be heard on behalf of those who seek equity and justice in all their forms.
I completed my PhD in Philosophy of Leadership Studies at Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA. My dissertation and research was how teachers experience becoming teachers and their role as leaders.
I focus on leading, communicating, and innovating in organizations. This includes mindfuful servant-leadership, World Cafe events, Appreciative Inquiry, and expressing one's self through creativity. I offer retreats, workshops, and presentations that can be tailored to your organzations specific needs.
I published peer reviewed articles about schools as learning organizations, currere as an ethical pursuit, and hope as an essential element of adult eductaion. I published three poems and am currently preparing my poetry to publish as an anthology of poetry.
I present on mindful leadership, servant leadership, schools as learning organizations, how teachers experience becoming teachers, assessement, and critical thinking. I facilitate mindfulness, hospitality retreats. and World Cafe Events using Appreciative Inquiry.
I am writing and researching about various forms of leadership, how teachers inform and form their identity as a particular teacher, schools as learning organizations, hope and its anticipatory relationship with the future, and hope as an essential element in learning.
Teacher as Transformer 
Lovely experience. Beautiful poem.
Thank you.
Nice. I have a photo of myself at 4 yrs old extending my hand to a fawn, who licked it in Yosemite. I am now visiting WA state and saw a deer cross someone’s front lawn on Orcas Island. By the time I got my camera out, I swear it posed for me. Got a fabulous shot. Then it disappeared. Previous attempts were like yours. So we get these nice bonuses once in awhile 😉
I could not get my camera out fast enough. I think had it been in its environment and more comfortable it might not have rushed off quite as quick.
Yep. I know how it is!
Pure enjoyment! Thank you for sharing, Ivon.
You are welcome Amy.
Thanks for sharing your beautiful experience! Where I used to live we had deer and I so enjoyed them and had many experiences with them which I remember fondly.
You are welcome. We have lived in places where the deer, moose, and other animals were almost on our doorstep.
How wonderful! Just the thought makes me smile – moose? I can’t even begin to imagine how special it would be!
It was. It stood about 15 feet away from me eating and watching me carefully. It is the beauty of living in small towns in the middle of nowhere.
delightful post, love everything about it ❤
Thank you.
There is much pleasure in the unexpected. As I step outside for a walk around our gardens, rabbits hop away, birds sing their songs as the burst forth from our bushes and trees. One was quite insistent this morning. Just like a classroom full of students speaking in foreign languages. Life is interesting and no two moments are the same. Peace.
There is.
Reblogged this on By the Mighty Mumford and commented:
THE BACK END OF A DEER…REALLY!? 😀
Really, sometimes that is all you have time to see.
That’s when the magic happens.
It is.
I had many such moments during two weeks in Sedona, AZ and the Grand Canyon. Just being with the red rocks and bathing in the sunshine and heat was magnetic and conjured all sorts of poetry. ^__^
That is a beautiful area. Anytime I visit a national park, I expect the unexpected.
Lovely comment. Thanks. The unexpected at any time of day as well. Photographer’s paradise. The climate there agrees with me: hot and dry air and lots of sun! Enjoy your week!
Thank you. Take care and enjoy.
It is so beautiful when we engage (in particular) with a ‘wild’ creature. It lingers with us forever…
It does.