The One That Got Away

Toward the end of my workday this afternoon, as I was leaving the warehouse portion of the building, I caught a flash of movement out of the corner of my right eye. I paused for a moment as the metal firedoors closed behind me. Had it been a mouse? Perhaps a spider much larger than those encountered in my worst nightmares? I turned around and opened the door. Peered around the corner. And there he was. A lost looking leopard spotted frog about the size of a tealight candle. He randomly hopped around on the dusty concrete floor as I watched. Normally I do not harbor warm feelings toward frogs but this one got to me. Concrete floors and steel warehouse racks are not the natural habitat for amphibians, he faced certain demise unless removed. I scooped him up and carried him outside. He sat so quietly cupped in my hands. I set him free in the grass on the other side of the parking lot. He hopped off and disappeared. I noted the birds flying overhead and thought about how any one of them might find my little frog buddy a tasty little treat. I had rescued froggy from certain death in a foreign environment to a likely death in his natural environment. I walked back toward the building to finish up a few little tasks before leaving for the day. Once inside the door I experienced a moment of revelation and clarity. Damn! I should have kissed the little bugger! Fate tosses a perfectly fine frog in my direction and I don't bother to lay a little lip-lock on him before setting him free! Then again, at this point in my life I've kissed enough frogs, thank you ever so much. He sure was cute, though.