There’s a lot of negativity out there in the world. We, the media, the ones who are supposed to bring you the news, aren’t doing too good a job of reporting it either, regrettably. Every day, we are bombarded with bad news from all quarters, from terrorist attacks to violence over trivial matters to the government becoming more and more “Big Brother” to One Direction breaking up. We know, that last one really shook us up too.
With all these news, it is all too easy to become a cynic and assume that our race’s best days are over, and it is high time we are supplanted by a new breed that is worthier of this planet we inhabit.
But then, out of the blue, happens something that once again restores our faith in humanity, no matter how fleeting that is.
This video we stumbled upon is of that variety. It is absurdly simple, a genuine off the cuff moment that is a far cry from all the sham and manufactured goodness of lying vlogs and so-called social experiments. In this age of selfies, GoPros, and endless narcissistic navel gazing, this comes as a breath of fresh air.
A Canadian man driving along in his truck on rustic gravel roads sees a goose follow him. He stops and notices that it looks tired; its mouth is open and it is wheezing for air-something that birds and animals reportedly do when they are tired or thirsty. Our man surmises, quite correctly as it turns out, that the goose is hopelessly lost and is flagging him down for help.
With a few encouraging words, he gets into his truck, and drives off in the direction of the nearest water body. Miraculously, the goose follows, exactly like a tame animal following its master of many years. When it is too tired to fly, it runs to keep up, the driver slows down, gives him time to catch his breath, and off they go again. In this moment, they aren’t human and animal, not even master and pet, they’re just two strangers, one helping the other out.
The duo finally reach a lake, and the goose is back in its natural surroundings. It is contented, at one with the placid lake. It looks at our man with what I’d almost like to imagine is thankful eyes. This guy is his hero, and also mine.
It also helps that at no point in the video, our hero feels the need to show off his mug to the camera, neither does he feel the need to give a running commentary of all the good stuff that he’s doing. Did I also mention, he films in landscape mode?
I’m suddenly getting an urge to emigrate to Alberta, Canada.
