Today was a rare occurrence. I only worked half a day. It's really not as special as I am making it sound, as I get half days once every other week in exchange for working on Saturdays.So with this new found freedom I decided to make the day all mine. I did things that would make me the happiest.
1:30-2:30: Had Chow Baby for lunch (Amazing! I’ll tell you all about it a sec)
1:30-2:30: Read a great book ( Living life NOW, I bought it from a garage sell for $.50)
3:00-4:30: Signed up and had 1 hour massage (They ask for tips which I thought was weird)
4:50-5:00ish: Sat in the car a watched Yellow Jackets play tag
Every moment was about me and I never denied my self what I wanted at that exact moment in time. Why? Well life is not long enough to waste on not having small moments of happiness.
Lesson 1: It’s yours, you made it, and IT’S GREAT!
If you’ve never been to Chow baby it is, as they describe “ The new American stir fry”, or something like that. Basically, it's an Asian restaurant for the average American. The food is buffet style and you are given one small black bowl in which you collect an array of choices for your “own dinner”. Sounds great doesn’t it? Well that’s what I thought until I found myself standing at the end of the line, eyes wide and a bit of nervousness fluttering above my heart. I starting thinking to myself… “ What will I add? How do I want it to taste? Is this bowl big enough for everything? I wonder if I should watch the people in front of me and see what they are doing then just copy them? Can I look at a menu and get some ideas? Rice or Noodles? Rice or Noodles? Rice? or Noodles? I couldn’t see it then but the day was trying to teach me a very valuable lesson.
So eventually it became my turn to make that first decision of rice or Noodles; I choose white rice because white rice is my favorite. then I started adding everything I liked, not really thinking about what flavors went well together. I added baby corn, mushrooms, thai basil (never had it before but sounded good), egg plant, Brussels sprouts, Tilapia, one egg, Teriyaki sauce, lime, curry power seasoning, and some ginger almond oil. In the end It tasted like spicy fried rice with random flavors being thrown around in my mouth with every bite. I LOVED IT!. why? because I made it just for me and it was everything I liked. It was a bit scary in the beginning because I didn’t want to look like the idiot doing it wrong, then it hit me. The only way to mess up the plan is to do things you don’t like doing just to save face.
Lesson 2: Go with your instincts
For about four months I’ve passed this 1 hour massages for $39.99 spa. Not today. On my drive back from Chow baby there was a detour in the road so everyone was lead in the Publix parking lot which wasn’t too big of a deal because I wasn’t in a rush. Then I saw it, same as before, ONE HOUR MASSAGES FOR $39.99. Thus, my first mind says “ Are you going to walk around in pain all year? really? I got the point and signed up for a massage which they had available immediately! If that’s not a sign then I don’t know what is. Needless to say, it was amazing. I am pretty sure I fell asleep for the last 20-30 minutes because before I realized it the young lady asked me how everything was and that she will be waiting to great me outside. I of coarse delirious wasn’t sure if it was really over, but it was and I felt so much better, Lighter, and full of life!
Lesson 3: Watch life happen
After my amazing message I headed home for a nap, but as I parked in front of my building I noticed about 7 Yellow Jackets Hovering around a tree next to my car. Well, since a song was playing on the radio that I liked I decided to wait it out. I thought to my self, “How am I going to make it to the stairs, they are just waiting for me to open the car door to attack me!”. As I thought about the Yellow Jackets and the song playing on the radio it became apparent that these bee’s weren’t just hovering waiting to devour me, rather they were playing with each other. Every few moments you will see one Bee hover under a panel then several others above it. When one of the Yellow Jackets discovered their friend hiding under the panel it would run into it and then run away! Seriously, they were playing tag/hide and seek and in that moment I busted out laughing. I couldn’t believe it. Then I realized, we are all connected really. If an insect can find joy in a game just as we do then how are we really all that different. At any rate, take time to reflect on the life going on around you it really is beautiful.
And that was my day in a nut shell. Everyday is getting better, everyday I am etching a new sentence in my life story, not for you but to better understand who I am.
-MeMe
-MeMe
