Duck Sign
I'm not filled with expectations when walking back to the house with my morning paper. Bleary eyed, my only hope is that there will be a great headline, like the day the paper read, “20 naked Pentecostals pile out of wrecked car”. *
So I was very surprised indeed when I looked up one morning and saw a duck sitting on my roof.
I don’t want to sound like Dr. Seuss, but ducks on roofs are not often seen, especially in suburbia, they’re far, far between. Okay, maybe I DO want to sound like Dr. Seuss. I can’t help it. I really, really like him.
I couldn’t wait for my wife to see the duck.
“You need to come outside. There’s something I want you to see.”
“What? What is it?”
“Well… I think I’d rather you just come and see for yourself.”
Outside we stood side-by-side on our front sidewalk, gazing in wonder at the real live duck on our roof. He quacked a couple of times and walked back and forth.
“That’s weird”, said my wife. “Maybe he’s injured or something, and can’t fly away.”
“I don’t know”, I said.
We went back inside and sat at the table. The duck incident was over for her, but I couldn’t get it out of my mind and had to say something.
“I’ve never seen that before - a duck on a roof.”
“So what. I saw something I’d never seen before when I changed the baby’s diaper this morning. Exactly how many raisins did you feed her last night?”
“I don’t know, 70 maybe. Listen, do you think that duck could be a sign from God?”
I’d been watching “Nanook of the North” the night before, a stunning silent movie, and the raisins kept the baby happy. I admit I was using the “Sign from God” angle as an avoidance technique. This is the kind of thing I do even though I never get away with it.
“No, dumb-ass, I do not think the DUCK is a sign from GOD. Do NOT feed the baby that many raisins.”
This conversation wasn’t doing much for me, so I went back outside and looked at the duck again. He quacked a few times and then flew away. He’s never been back.
For the record, I don’t think the duck was a sign from God. By that, I mean I don’t think God sent a duck to my roof to get my attention.
I will say this - I was in an absolutely great mood the rest of the day. I stopped at the 7-11 and picked up a diet coke and some little white doughnuts. (cringe)
Mel the clerk said, “Have a nice day.”
“I will. There was a duck on my roof this morning.”
“A duck?”
“Yep.”
“On your roof?”
“Mm hmm.”
“Weird.”
Mel’s cool. She and I have a little flirty thing goin on.
I tried the same thing at lunch. The guy at Schlotskys was less receptive.
“Hey, there was a duck on my roof today.”
He seemed irritated. “What are you talking about?”
“Nothing. I’m just saying, there was a duck on my roof this morning. Pretty weird, huh?”
He gave me one of those horrible “okaaay’s” where you stretch out the word and make it known to all that the person you’re speaking with is an idiot.
I didn’t care. My eyes were wide open. If I saw a duck on my roof, what else might I see?
I watched for the family of bunnies and the family of roadrunners that live near our church. I found a caterpillar in the hall and did not squash him. There was something spooky about reading the bible.
Every door I opened was a possibility. Every turn had mystery.
Once again, for the record, I do not think the duck was a sign from God. I’m just saying my eyes were open, and I had a great day.
Of course, if there really was a God who knows and loves this silly, small, sad, lonely, happy, Texas preacher man, I think the duck thing would be a brilliant move, don’t you? It does fit me perfectly.
I’m just saying…
Oh, and also for the record, it’s now almost impossible for me not to lift mine eyes to hills of my rooftop in hopes of seeing that duck again. I hope he’ll come back someday. It’s become something of an obsession.
It’s a little silly, I admit, but most obsessions are.
The Preacher
*8-20-93. I still have the clipping.
3:25:30 PM 
|
