Purposeful Heron

As I sat on the Eastern porch, Great Blue Heron flew by so close that I could see her long neck folded back on itself for flying. The Dog that lives with us saw Heron too, and lunged toward her letting out a warning bark. It was clear that Dog had no intention of catching Heron, even though she almost could have. I don't know why her lunge was halfhearted, but I do know that if Dog had caught Heron, it would have served no useful purpose. Dog was not hungry, and Heron posed no real threat as she continued to fly by. It occurred to me that most of what I see in the world outside my culture is purposeful. There are clear reason why things happen and equally clear reasons why things don't. Not that I know why Heron flew as close to us as she did, but our interaction was clear and purposeful. Dog told Heron she was too close, and Heron flew off. After that, Dog laid back down. I imagine Heron is flying over Spinney Creak by now. Today, I will be paying attention to the purposefulness of my actions, and finding out how much like Dog and Heron I can be.