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Fall Break Trip 141, originally uploaded by diahn.

On our last camping trip, we got up early one morning and walked down to the pier on the lake to go fishing. As we stepped out onto the pier, we saw this little deer swimming across the lake. Now, the lake is not very big - only a little more than 3 miles around it's perimeter, but this deer apparently did not have the time to go all the way around. She just went right through the middle of it.

I can't imagine that it was easier. It was cold, there were boats and more likelihood of meeting up with people - something a white tail deer in the autumn isn't really into, you know. But for whatever reason, she decided it would be worth her time to take the harder, but more direct, short cut.

So - it really got me thinking (as you've no doubt figured out). How many times do I walk all the way around an obstacle, because I know that I can get around safely, rather than just diving right in and getting wet? How many times do I look at a situation and decide that it's just going to get too uncomfortable if I go THAT way, even though my goal is right on the other side. How much time have I spent circumnavigating the lake so that my new shoes don't get wet?

Sometimes you just have to jump in all the way up to your eyebrows and wade through the mess in order to get over your fear of actually reaching the goal.

Hmmm. Or, maybe I just saw a pretty deer swimming on a cold October morning...