Unintended Consequences

We hear a lot in this day and time of something our government has done which later has unintended consequences. In other words it may not have been carefully thought out, or the bugs have not been worked out. It was meant well but did not turn out that way. Sometimes these problems can be made right again. But it is not always that way in real life.

This mornng I had a letter I wanted to leave in my mail box for the carrier to pick up and mail for me. I hopped into my golf cart and headed out for my destination. As I approched the curve in my road I took a quick glance toward my garden to assure myself that the garden gate was closed. Alas I did not slow down or stop but kept on going. It was a momentary glance and I have glanced off before to take a peek at something in the landscape. This time as I rounded the corner I heard a noise and stopped. I thought I had slung something off my cart as I went round the curve. When I looked back I saw a beautiful turtle. Still not realizing what had happened I walked back and saw he looked okay so I thought I had just glanced him with my wheel. I picked him up and his eyes looked odd. I turned him over and my heart sank. I saw what should have been inside his shell was on the outside. I stood there looking at this poor creature and knew that there was no hope for him. So, what to do. Sadly I walked to the edge of the woods and sent him down the hill. What else could I do? No vet could bring him back to life. Never would I have ever harmed this beautiful lumbering creature. I was talking to myself and lamenting the fact that I had taken my eyes off of the road for that fleeting moment when I would have seen him if I had not looked aside.

When I returned to the house I had to know exactly what kind of turtle he/she was. With a little research I learned he was an Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina). The site had an email address where you could write to a person who is a naturalist and admirer of Steve Irwin. I felt compelled to tell someone about this terrible accident, so out of guilt I did send a letter to this person. After sending it out I searched more on the site and learned that the person was a young man who appeared to be a teen ager. He had various pictures of his Mom and himself and others holding rattlesnakes, other strange snakes and small alligators. He had a note to other viewers saying to not send pictures of snakes which had been killed in various ways. So, I really felt sorry that I had even written to him. I doubt he could feel as much regret and pain as I did over this incident.

I kept thinking of the people who had caused the death of another person because of some fleeting error in judgement while driving. What a heavy burden to bear. It is bad enough to know you have killed an innocent turtle making his way toward the woods. At times it is really hard to forgive yourself. Why am I so remorseful over this yet if a red headed wasp gets into my house I go after him with a swatter without any qualms whatever.

Hopefully this will be a lesson learned. I will not take my eyes off the road when in my car or in my golf cart. What I keep thinking about is that about three weeks ago I was in my car going to that very curve and I saw this colorful creature in the road. I stopped the car, got out and picked him up and carried him across the gravel road to safety. My daughter once told me that she remembered her father doing that same thing, rescuing a little turtle who was midway in the road where he was in grave danger. There is so much interesting wild life here on this place. Some of the creatures are not very nice and eat all of my vegetables if left uncontrolled. Why am I not disturbed about their demise. Perhaps because I have not actually seen them in such a state. Whatever the reason it was a somber start for this labor day week-end.