When I was young, my perception of what was real and possible in the universe was based on the premise that “facts” and “logic” were the cornerstones of what was widely known as “reality.” I adhered to this mistaken notion unquestionably, not realizing that there is magic in the world, and that often we just have to be in the right place at the right time to discover it.

My concept of reality was about to change forever on the enchanting island of Rhodes, Greece. Rhodes is full of mystery, as it was once home to one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Colossus of Rhodes, a huge bronze statue erected in 280 BC. C., which with more than 30 meters high, rose majestically protecting the port.

It was within this mythical setting that I met my traveling companion and good friend Wendell. Wendell and I had been touring Europe for several months, and had ventured to Rhodes with the intention of seeing where the famous statue once stood. We were captivated by the beauty and charm of the island, and intrigued by the inexplicable feeling in the air that this was a place where anything could happen.

As we were leisurely strolling through the old part of the city one sunny afternoon, we suddenly heard a loud and powerful beating of wings directly overhead. We looked up and were amazed at the presence of the largest pelican we had ever seen. To our amazement, the pelican glided gracefully down to land directly in front of us.

We stood in silence gawking at the bird, dumbstruck. The pelican then began to walk down the sidewalk intentionally, as if it had an explicit destination in mind. We quickly follow him at a safe distance to make sure we don’t target him.

It was a hot summer day, and as was customary on the island, the shops along the street had their doors open to welcome visitors and allow the refreshing sea breeze to enter the premises.

The pelican kept walking and then paused briefly before suddenly walking into a local pharmacy. We eagerly followed him inside, where a handful of patrons were casually looking on.

Without hesitation, the pelican walked past the bewildered customers to an adjoining back room of the store, where he began pacing back and forth in front of shelves stocking a variety of medications, as if searching for a particular item. We all stood transfixed, watching the strange behavior of this strange creature. After a few moments, he seemed to give up the peculiar search for him and went back inside the tent.

We waited expectantly for what would happen next. To our surprise, she stopped in the center of our little group and, in turn, looked each of us squarely in the eye, as if trying to convey some personal message.

I remember his eyes looking eerily human, and I had a strange feeling that he wasn’t actually a pelican, but rather an apparition that had temporarily taken form as this curious bird.

Without further ado, he left the store as abruptly as he had entered, took a few steps toward the street, and flew away. We stared at each other with wide eyes of disbelief, seeking each other’s validation that what we had witnessed actually happened. Although some symbolic suggestions were offered, no one had a plausible explanation for what the pelican was doing there or why.

As I look back on my life, I can remember many extraordinary events that I will treasure forever, but none so full of joyous spontaneity as the extraordinary day we encountered the mysterious Rhodesian pelican.