The Little Barge That Could

On a random bike ride to Keithsburg on a warm Sunday afternoon, I drove up on the dyke to see if there was any barge travelling by. I first glanced to the left and then to the right and couldn't see anything.

But then I saw what looked like some movement at the base of one of the old train trestles. I couldn't quite make it out but it looked like something small was coming downstream.

I am used to seeing long heavy barges plowing along, with powerful barges pushing it along. What was this tiny thing heading toward me?

Well, I'm still not sure what it was, but it certainly wasn't a great powerful engine like one usually sees. This was a miniature barge pushing a single platform.

I think it can...

It approached quietly and just like that was heading away. A chance encounter with one of the many boats that ply the river, this one, a smaller version but handling its task with a certain honor and grace.

We all have a role to play, great or small. Amongst the behemoths of the river, this little guy looks small and irrelevant. But it surely can do things the big boys can't. That is its role, its purpose and its pride. Perhaps a lesson for us all.

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