Practicing being present

The low fuel light came on while on my way to a meeting, but I don't like to run low on gas, so I pulled into the next gas station I saw on my right. After I fueled up, I drove around the pump to head back toward the main road. As I was driving through, I caught a glimpse of something that moved in a small landscaped area between the gas station and the neighboring strip mall. Was that what I think it was? I pulled over. It sure was. I put down my car window and just admired it for a few minutes. It was a limpkin. I had only seen one once before on the shore of a lake in Central Florida a few years ago. I had someplace to be, but I felt that taking a moment to enjoy this beautiful bird was too important to miss. I wanted to practice being present for those 3 or 4 minutes. It didn't make me late for my meeting, and it changed my mood for the rest of the day. I had seen something that I consider special, and I took a few minutes to enjoy it. Being present can really change your experience of the world around you.