Frieda is an opportunist. But if you think about it, isn’t any spider? The right criteria for a web placement seem to involve maximum opportunity for stability and the ability to catch bugs for dinner.
I visited Cedar Point for the first time over the weekend. My favorite activity was riding the gigantic Ferris wheel. A sizable spider had taken up residence on the wheel, spinning her web in the triangle of red-colored steel bars. I named her Frieda. All day long, she rode the same wheel, round and round, and at night her masterful web glowed pink in the shimmer of colored lights. I have hardly ever seen so many bugs attracted to one web. There were already plenty, and as we stopped suspended at the top, I watched more fly in, even as new riders loaded below.
Right place, right time.
Years ago, I was gifted some purple basil seedlings. One day, to my sadness, I noticed they were wilting in their planter container. It was almost time to replant them in a proper pot, but now their stems were completely wilted, lying flat on the dirt.
So I moved the soil into small clear bowls and added water. Those little plants drank it right up, and in short order, they sprang back into growth. It was astonishing to see how resilient they were.
Right place, right time. Right boost, too.
If we want to see human beings flourish, maybe it’s worth thinking about where and how we can be part of that. Sometimes it means being opportunists — casting our nets (or webs) wide. Sometimes it involves being someone’s boost. Growth happens when the right place, the right time, and the right help come together.
Right place. Right time. Right boost.
— Renee Roederer
Smuggling Grace 