Big Softy

Between trying some fishing spots over the Memorial Day weekend we stopped at a grocery store for some items. While approaching the front of the store Shelly and I paused to look at the flowers on sale. I noticed a man with a shaved head, covered with colorful tats, maybe aged late 30’s to early 40’s bending over and touching a flower while talking to it. Like most of us who encounter crazy people in public I warily tried to ignore him, but his persistence with the flower finally intrigued me enough that I began to watch what he was doing and moved closer. He was holding a tissue to the flower, and on it was a caterpillar he was coaxing to crawl from the tissue to the flower. I was now next to him, watching the progress, and commenting about how hairy and colorful the bug was. He said he found it on the floor of the bathroom in the store. I said maybe it fell off of someone in there and he agreed. The caterpillar finally made it to the flower and I called him a big old softy and said I would have saved it too. He smiled at me and turned and walked away, triumphant with his mission.