This one-legged Canadian goose lifted its head high as Dorothy and I approached to take its picture on Belle Isle the other afternoon. Apparently geese are so vigilant they are sometimes used to guard property. I wonder if this goose was even more vigilant than most because of its disability. But it seemed to get around quite well by hopping on its one good leg, and it flew as well as any of its companions.

In some ways it reminded me of my city. We Detroiters learn to be quite vigilant too. It's called being "street-smart." I'm sure residents of other urban areas need similar skills. You never know what might come your way, so you keep your eyes and ears open and trust your instincts. If something doesn't feel right, you respond accordingly. I can remember walking down the street by myself one afternoon years ago in a rather deserted part of town. All of a sudden I got funny vibes: something just didn't feel right. So I turned up someone's walk, went right up to the front door and pretended to be going inside. The funny feeling went away, so I returned to the sidewalk and continued on my way.

To be honest, in my 42 years in Detroit I've only had one negative experience, and it wasn't really a big deal. I was stopped at a stoplight at night and some young men on foot surrounded my car and started jostling it. This was on a well-traveled city street with lots of cars around and I had my doors locked, so it was only mildly spooky. When the light changed they stood aside, and I simply took off. That's the extent of my safety issues in 42 years of doing things, often by myself, night and day in the city.

But it always pays to be vigilant.