Expecting the Unexpected

On a warm, summer Sunday morning, I was doing a quiet stroll along the sleepy Willamette River, not particularly expecting anything new from this familiar path I had walked many times. Having no expectations for any unusual experiences, my focus was just to complete my healthful exercise in nature before it got too hot. I was already feeling the warmth of the sun’s rays, as it moved higher in the cloudless, blue sky.  But still, even with nor particular purpose and always being ready to take an interesting photograph, I continued to scan my surroundings, as I walked on my favorite riverside trail . 

"Roses by the Willamette River." ~  photo by Carol E Fairbanks  © 2014

A Greek philosopher, Heraclitus, stated long ago, “If you do not expect the unexpected, you will not find it, for it is not to be reached by search or trail.”  While I always am open for something new, I wasn’t really “searching” for anything specific on this walk, but, if I encountered something unique on the trail - great!  And I am always willing to follow that intuitive voice within, that urges me to veer from the recommended path and explore the unknown. However, after walking an hour on the trail that morning, as I circled through Alton Baker Park and over the river on the De Fazio footbridge, my experience appeared to be predictably familiar. In fact, most of the activity that morning, was in my head, with those racing thoughts mulling over some life changes I was considering.  

"Cedar tree on the trail."  ~ photo by Carol E Fairbanks  © 2014

With all that walking… (and thinking!), my awareness started to shift from my overactive brain to the beautiful colors and sights around me, and I started to see things that I had not noticed before. An unusual, stately cedar tree suddenly “presented” itself on the trail, as if it just happened to grow there since the last time I walked this path. And why had I never noticed those vibrant red roses growing outside the Owen Rose Garden, flourishing without  the benefit of those garden volunteers?  Pleased that I had noticed these subtleties of nature on the trail, I photographed them and immediately became even more aware of my surroundings.
As I climbed the path up Skinner’s Butte, I felt grateful for the towering trees, whose branches reached out, creating some generous shade that kept the path cool. It was just a small climb, with not much challenge, but still, with the increasing temperature, I was glad when I reached the top of the butte. I stopped and paused to catch my breath and enjoyed a slight breeze, as I turned to head down the path that encircled the butte. Not being prepared for what I saw, I stopped suddenly and stared ahead disbelievingly.  

"Mysterious white rabbit." photo by Carol E Fairbanks  © 2014

A beautiful fluffy, white rabbit was just sitting on the edge of the trail, unsuccessfully trying to camouflage himself. He really looked out of place with his brilliant  white fur and pink ears, as he wiggled his little nose, trying to decide what to do now that I had seen him.  Not appearing fearful or even concerned with me watching him, he started to munch on a stalk of grass next to the trail. 

As I was conjuring up a “story” about the white rabbit in my imagination, this bunny looked at me briefly with one of his pink eyes and hopped quickly down the hillside out of sight. I ran over to the edge of the hill and watched him as he jumped down toward some brush. He paused for a moment, wiggled his pink nose again and then promptly disappeared  into a nearby hole. Even without carrying a “watch” or saying, “I’m late for a very important date”, that rabbit reminded me of Alice’s chance encounter with another white rabbit, who guided her to “wonderland”. Not being ready for quite that much “adventure” on this Sunday morning, and, unlike Alice, I decided not to follow that white rabbit into his hole. Turning away and climbing back to the trail, the white  rabbit now might have been out of sight, but he was definitely not out of my mind! I still had trouble believing my surprising sighting, but there they were on my camera… five photos of that beautiful white rabbit! 

"The rabbit hole." photo by Carol E Fairbanks  © 2014

Another surprise was how delighted I felt in meeting this unusual critter on the trail.  It was as if I experienced something “magical” on my walk. and now anything was possible!  A recent study reported on by ABC News explained why life’s little unexpected pleasures affect us so much. It described how the brain’s pleasure centers are more “turned on” when we experience unpredictable pleasant things, compared to expected pleasant events. Evidently, according to new pictures of the brain, the nucleus accumbens, one of the pleasure centers in the brain, is more stimulated when experiencing an unexpected pleasurable event. It simply means that the brain finds unexpected pleasure more rewarding than expected ones, and it has little to do with what a person likes. Authors of the study, Dr.Gregory Berns, assistant professor of biomedical engineering at Emory and Dr. Read Montague, associate professor of neuroscience at Baylor, say, “So we may subconsciously desire the unpredictable experience over the experience that we consciously prefer.” Well, the white rabbit encounter sure seemed to have “lit up” the pleasure center of my brain, as I laughed at the thought of my “Alice in wonderland” experience!

"The Owen Rose Garden in Eugene, OR. " photo by Carol E Fairbanks  © 2014

When I arrived at the Owen Rose Garden, I was once again pleasantly surprised upon seeing  an incredible myriad of diverse floral color. Just walking through this garden two weeks before, few roses were in full bloom, and many flowers were showing the wear and tear of too much heat, with their brown edges and mottled petals. But today, the array of gorgeous roses in full bloom was indeed inspiring, and I immediately whisked out my camera to record those natural works of art.
Now, with my “nucleus accumbens” lit up like a Christmas tree, I ambled down the trail to the riverside, at Maury Jacobs Park and checked out the ducks, who made this place their home. My feathered friends, with honking and flapping their wings, seemed as excited to see me, as I was to see them. Even though I had no food to give them, they still lingered at the water’s edge, swimming around in their preferred groups. While I was photographing them, I saw something else that I had never noticed before. 

"Integrated ducks on the river." photo by Carol E Fairbanks  © 2014

White ducks were hanging out with brown and black and other multicolored ducks. Apparently, color didn’t matter to them, and integration among those ducks seemed to be working just fine!  Perhaps, some scientists should study the ducks to find out just how they do it. We humans could sure use that kind of helpful information!
My river walk that Sunday morning was a delightful series of surprises that stimulated not only joy,  but also inspired some awarenesses of wisdom,….and I was feeling pretty good, especially in the pleasure center of my brain! As I thought about my experience on the trail, I concluded that walking offers more opportunities for serendipitous surprises than any other leisure activity that I know of. With no competitive goal or ego-chasing agenda, I am more open on my walks to those surprising chance encounters. Even the ancient Greeks knew this! It’s definitely one of the biggest reasons why walking makes me not only healthier, but happier! Both my “lit up” brain and my happy heart really appreciate those wonderful unexpected treasures that just happen to be on the trail!
                                           

                                                                                    by Carol E. Fairbanks, W.W.W.