Once when I was about twelve or so, I watched a couple of penguins peck at each other at our St. Louis Zoo. At the time I took it that they were fighting and I was interested in the outcome. Penguins are whimsical enough when they’re doing nothing, but these two were involved in some kind of minor imbroglio, and being about twelve or so, I wanted to see how far this thing would go. Just as I was trying to decide who to root for, a third penguin happened on the scene and casually walked right between them. This was comical enough, but immediately the two combatants simultaneously stared at the meddler, turned on their heels and followed the interloper to the water’s edge, where all three jumped in for a peaceful swim. This was many years ago, but the subtle surprise, especially the visual of those two bickering penguins looking aghast at the disruptive bird, has stayed with me. This episode wasn’t a bit in an animal show, it wasn’t scripted, it just popped up.

That’s not to say scripted “pop-ups’ can’t be fun. They certainly are, but they have to actually pop up and take us by surprise. My daughter Anna has embarked on a delightful mission of doodling and sketching whimsical scenes and patterns. For some time now she has been posting these on her FB fan page https://www.facebook.com/annakoehlerart?fref=ts and they are quite fun and often quite surprising. Recently she posted the one shown above. At first glance I saw a nice illustration of flowers in complimentary colors. Pleasant little pattern, I thought. And then, Surprise!

Whether you come upon pecking penguins or popping poppies, I hope these serendipitous scenarios remind you that there is a reason you like to be caught by delightful surprises.

Illustration: ©2015 Anna Koehler