Friday afternoon, I was riding down one of those long, busy, over-developed streets with all the big box stores, fast food chains, pawn shops, several banks and a church or two thrown in for good measure. I was day dreaming, trying to reconstruct my ‘to-buy’ list in my head, since I’d left it laying on the kitchen table when I rushed out of the house.

While my mind was otherwise engaged, my eyes focused on a bus stop as I drove along . Sitting on the bench, waiting for the bus, was…….. a clown. Long bell-bottom red pants with wide white stripes, big, bright yellow shoes, an over sized yellow bow tie, and a hot pink curly wig. White face and bright red lips completed the picture. A clown….waiting for a bus. I laughed out loud. It was just what I needed to jar me out of the mundane, errand running day.A clown riding the bus!

I began to wonder…..did the clown’s car break down and they had a show to do, a parade to be in so they ran to the nearest bus stop? Or is this a clown that always takes the bus? Then I wondered….what did the people on the bus do when a clown boarded the bus? Did they laugh….turn the other way…try not to stare? Were the children on the bus looking around to see if there was about to be a party in their honor? I wanted to follow the bus to watch their reactions.

I felt blessed seeing that clown. It reminded me that every day extraordinary things happen. Every day we can see and experience amazing things we never expected……..on an ordinary, errand running day, on a busy street like so many others. The trick is to stay awake and wait for the surprise.

Keep your eyes open today…..clowns could be waiting just around the corner…waiting for the bus.