This has been an annoyingly not very good week and there’s no sign of relief. If I could, I would just go to bed and stay there still Saturday. Since that is not the world I live in I push on just like everyone else having a not very good week.
Meanwhile, someone who is also having a challenging week seemed to recognize that I was hanging on by a thread yesterday and offered me the sweetest little gift.
It’s a Little Debbie Christmas Tree!
I hadn’t had one in years and it was a delightful treat on a sour day.
That’s the thing. In a world that seems to only take take take, a small gesture can have a big impact!
Happy whatever day this is! I hope you’re having a good one.
I try to share something most days as this is a daily writing/thinking exercise for me. Unfortunately, this hasn’t been possible lately.
We have reached my busy season at work. I’m also in the throes of a busy volunteer life. At home, I’m trying to decorate for Easter, organize my messy craft room, reorganize my books, overcome some health issues and reinvent my life so I can be the best that I can be – all while hobbling along with a bum leg.
It’s going about as well as you might imagine.
I’m physically and mentally tired. I’m overwhelmed by possibility and underwhelmed by my own management of anything more than my bedtime routine.
If only there were a few more hours in the day. The good news is the really bad part will last only another month. The bad news is there’s another month to go.
So back on track, I half heartedly try to go. But honestly, friends, if the choice is between writing and sleeping, I’m probably going to choose the sleep.
I’m sure y’all will overcome the disappointment somehow! Ha!
In case I drop off the map again and I’m not around to remind you to think positive, here’s your assignment. In this ever darkening world, what’s one small thing you can do to make it a brighter place?
It doesn’t have to be expensive or taxing in any way. Chat up your cashier at Aldi, pay a compliment to a stranger, or grab a loose cart so it doesn’t bang into someone’s car. Take donuts to a friend. Offer to babysit your sister’s kids so she can get a haircut in peace.
Maybe you want to take this assignment to the next level and help with a letter writing campaign to your member of Congress, plant a field with sunflowers (those are some happy flowers), or join your town’s beautification effort. Those pretty flowers on Main Street don’t plant and water themselves and could benefit from your green thumb. Tutor a child in a subject you know well or become their Big Brother or Big Sister if you have that program in your area.
My philosophy has long been that when I go to bed at night I should be leaving the world in the same or better condition than I found it in that morning. I’m failing miserably so I need everyone else to try a little harder while I get it together.
Think of the people of your youth who inspired you. What would Woody Guthrie, Steve Irwin, John Lennon or our beloved Mr Rogers have to say?
Woody spent a lifetime standing up against fascists, advocating for workers’ rights, and reminding us that “this land was made for you and me.”
“The Crocodile Hunter” told us that “if we save our wild places, we will ultimately save ourselves.” What would we do without the amazing wild places across the is nation of ours?
The kind and gentle soul we all knew as Mr. Roger’s taught children on television for 33 years to look for the helpers, that we are all special, and that our differences make us better. “It’s the people who feel strong and good about themselves who are best able to accept outside difference—their own and others,” he said.
Maybe we all just need better self esteem and more self respect and we would treat our planet and the people who inhabit it more kindly.
I can tell you that volunteering is a great way to put things into perspective and to understand who your true community leaders are. After a lifetime of being an active community volunteer I can tell you the politicians are rarely the real leaders. In fact, it’s usually what the state and national politicians muck up that the rest of us are trying to fix.
The true leaders are the young professionals, the retirees, and the individuals who have an interest in seeing something be better. Never underestimate the grandmotherly church lady with a freezer full of homemade pies. Those ladies will be in charge if the world ever ends.
Remember, there are plenty of ways to brighten someone else’s day and yours as well. Visit a neighbor or buy yourself a little gift from a small business. That business owner will do a happy dance at your purchase. Visiting a national park is almost a revolutionary act these days. Go take a long hike and do not skip the gift shop!
Find a way, enormous or minuscule every day to make the world just a little better. If we all did one small thing, imagine the difference we could make. I may sound a little hippie dippie but that’s fine by me.
A colorful table with a bouquet of flowers deserves notice. That’s because in this dreary world where everyone agrees that the country is a mess but we’re all divided regarding why, we need more than ever to celebrate the small stuff.
A pop of color here and there, little bits of beauty, and small doses of positivity may be what’s standing between you and the loss of your mental well being.
Turn off the news, stop reading comments and memes, and start snoozing people on Facebook who stress you out. They do not deserve your energy. I have no problem leaving rooms where I do not belong because I would rather be alone than feel preached at or bullied. I would rather keep my circle small than be with people who judge the world and me using their narrow views as guide.
My cat and I are good pals and he has never once ruined my day.
Look for the good stuff – the new music, the volunteers who are improving your community, the sunsets, and the flowers in the window. If you can’t find anything good, maybe it’s time you take matters into your own hands.
Become the volunteer, plant the flowers, adopt a pet, share a meal with a friend, stand outside and watch the new day dawn because living to see a brand new day is worth celebrating.
Do something useful in this world. Even if you are the only person who notices. It’s the only way things will get better.
Friday found me sitting in a fast food drive- thru line. I was behind a vehicle that had more or less parked at the payment window while the driver chatted with the employee.
The employee was almost hanging out of her window, laughing and chatting with the driver like they were old friends. I wasn’t in a huge hurry but there were adventures to be had and I didn’t understand why they thought it was ok to hold up the line.
They finally said their goodbyes and the vehicle creeped forward so I could move up to pay. What happened next caught me off guard.
The woman at the window greeted me with an apology. “I’m sorry about your wait. She seemed really down and I didn’t want to let her go until she was smiling.”
The cashier told me that the driver was an elderly lady with a little kid in the back seat. She didn’t know the source of the trouble but seemed sincerely concerned for this stranger.
This was surprising because they seemed like old friends.
There’s a lot to unpack here.
We’ll start with the fact there are still decent people in this world. It’s hard to find anyone willing to look up from their phone anymore much less make eye contact. The masses certainly don’t walk around concerned for the well being of strangers or try so hard to brighten someone’s day.
Fast food workers tend to get a bad rap but this lady took pride in her work and I imagine she brightens a lot of days for others.
Second, you never really know what’s happening around you. You don’t know where people are coming from or what they’ve been through. Don’t tap your toe or blow your horn. Judging is easy and is the lowest form of interaction with others. Understanding takes more work and requires compassion. Even if you don’t engage with someone on the same level as that nice cashier, go with the flow and try to extend some patience and kindness toward those around you.
What will it cost you? A few minutes? Is your time really that valuable? A little patience and understanding really could alter the course of someone else’s day and make it better. Be short with someone for being slow and you’ll maybe make it worse.
If you think this will be a problem for you, try leaving a little early. It will ease the stress and make your life better even if you aren’t slowed down by my call for human decency.
The whole experience reminded me of the gas station philosopher I met in Michigan this fall and the wisdom he had to share. Click here to read about him!
Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity. Martin. Luther King Jr.
Be curious about the world. Talk to people who are different than you. Listen and try to understand their worldview. Trust that there is a lot you don’t know. Stand up for the underdog. Know that your place in the world is quite small and that what is done to another group could be done to you too. Embrace your own humanity and try to do better. Try to be better. Practice who and what you want to be. Learn. Be teachable. Reject ignorance and stupidity. Be kind. Reject anyone who tells you to do otherwise.
In the words of Dr. Martin Luther Ling Jr. “We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.”
It was a privilege to stand before the national monument to this great leader this year. Click here to read about the experience.
Can’t go? That’s ok. You can help keep the dream alive in your own family, your own neighborhood and your own community by leading with an example of kindness to all. Think you can’t manage that? Then at least get out of the way of those who are trying.
We’re talking lines so long it was difficult to find the end. Most people seemed polite and happy to wait their turn which was good because there were just two cashiers. The self checkout line was also long as people were buying carts full of groceries and most of us civilians aren’t nearly as efficient as the average cashier/bagger combo.
My cashier was a young man, perhaps college aged, who indicated it had been a zoo all afternoon. When I asked why, we talked about the impending holiday and he said something truly profound. “People get all uptight and rude around Christmas but it seems like people try harder around New Years. They are gonna eat better or do things to reinvent themselves. Everyone tries to be a better person around New Years.”
He’s absolutely right.
Personally, I believe every day is an opportunity for a fresh start. Waiting till January to start doing better seems silly to me but I do understand the appeal of that fresh slate provided by a new year.
That said, I have been plotting some improvements in my own life and have a handful of goals to work on in the first quarter of this year.
My only wish is that everyone would always try a little harder to be better people. After all, it was refreshing to see people getting along and to hear the friendly, casual conversations among strangers. The lady in line behind me even offered to watch my cart while I ran for a gift card.
Speaking of nice people, I had superb lunch service at Los Mariachis and encountered a super kind employee at Lowe’s who helped me locate something I would have never found on my own. The picture above represents my favorite purchase of the day – this vintage style light up ceramic snowman. He was 75 percent off and a conversation starter everywhere I went in the store.
By the way, one of my goals for the next few months is to curb spending by doing a No Spend Challenge. Sigh. I guess I’ll be starting January 1!
