Day 24: No Good, Really Bad Day
I know exactly how Alexander feels in the classic children's book Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. From the time I woke up, things just weren't working out. While I did have a crazy surge in my blog traffic, my coffee tasted wrong, my clothes didn't fit right and I felt yucky. After dropping my daughter off at her drama class and my son at his friend's house for a play date, I had two peaceful hours to myself. I wanted to read. As I sat on my porch, indulging in a thriller instead of cleaning my house, I decided to check my email before I got to sucked into my book. There, in my virtual box of notes, was the email I didn't want to receive or read.
"Thank you for entering our writing competition. We had over 7,800 entries and we have now contacted all the winners as of last week. Stay posted to read the winning entries."
I hadn't been contacted last week, that can't be right. Did they have the right email? Did I miss a phone call? Oh, I know, they mailed it to me and I haven't received it yet. I went so far as to walk down the block to check my mailbox although in my heart, I knew I would only find bills and junk mail. It was my first writing contest and I had decided I would win. I wanted it more than anyone else and I gave them my best shit. I wanted the trip to NYC, the $1,000 and the opportunity to meet a publisher. It was my chance.
Now that I knew I hadn't won, there was no reason to keep writing. That is how black and white I view life, if I can't win them all then I can't win any of them and what's the point. I let myself be sad, depressed and contemplate the hundreds of thousands of writers who never get published, who spend their life writing and never make a single dime. The writer I would end up being. I cried and I sent my husband a text. When didn't get the response I wanted from him, I got even more upset. I was planning to let it ruin the rest of my day.
I hadn't given a gift today and I didn't care. I wanted to feel bad for me, mourn the writing career I thought I could have. Tomorrow I would get back on the horse, find a new dream career and move on with my life. I fought with my husband, I hid in my bedroom, I cried and then I decided I was sick of it. We all piled in the car and went to the gas station for a drink. In the parking lot there were firefighters holding boots that they were filling with change. We had scraped together a few bucks for our drinks, there wasn't a lot of extra cash, but I handed the kids each a dollar in change to put in the boot. That was my gift. I wish I could tell you that it warmed my soul, uplifted my spirit or felt perfect but it didn't. It just was. It was what I could give today and thankfully there was tomorrow, so I could try again.
Day 25: A Gift Card
I love thrift store shopping. From furniture I can refinish to work clothes to best selling books for 50 cents, I just can't get enough. Today, my little guy and I stopped in for a quick look before we went grocery shopping. We wandered around the toy area and then headed to the back area where all the "new" goodies were being put out. I found my husband some weights that he had wanted and then I spotted my big find....an outdoor patio set that was missing cushions but was a really sturdy metal set. It included a bench and two massive chairs. It's a set that I have drooled over every spring in the Home Depot ad, black metal with beautiful cushions around an outdoor fire pit. The $400 price tag was a hard sell for my husband, so I never got past drooling on the ad and dreaming of being sprawled on the love seat, an icy cocktail in hand, while I giggled with my children who were running through the sprinklers. I was the pretend lady enjoying her fake backyard on my outdoor furniture.
The tags on each of the three pieces said $20 and I assumed that was for each piece. When I found an employee, had him slap my name on the dream patio set and took my ticket up front, I realized he had put $20 for all three pieces together. It had to be wrong, that seemed too cheap. When I handed the pretty young cashier my ticket she asked me if it was $20 for all or for each. I told her for each because that was what I assumed it meant. I walked out, got in my car and felt that there had been a misunderstanding on my part. I was so worried about not ripping them off that I had just overpaid for my sweet find by $40. I headed back in to clear up the confusion.
"I'm so sorry. Can you have that gentleman check the price on my set? It may have been $20 for the set and I just paid $60."
The cashier graciously called the manager to the front and he confirmed that it was $20 for the set and they happily refunded the money I had overpaid. I mentioned that we were going to grab a smoothie for my son afterwards at a place across the street.
"I have never been there," the young cashier said "is it really good?"
My son told her it was amazing and proceeded to list all his his favorite combinations. She was very kind and thanked us numerous times for coming in. She had given us stellar customer service, it was above and beyond what was required and I wanted to let her know that it was appreciated.
While we were eating our frozen concoctions, I realized what my gift would be for the day. I bought the young girl from the thrift store a $5 gift card.
We walked back over and when I didn't see her up front, I asked the other cashier if he could page her for me.
"I just want to give her something." I told him, as he peered at me suspiciously.
She came walking up to us with a huge smile.
"Is everything okay?"
I told her it was and that I wanted to thank her for her kindness. I handed her the gift card.
"Now you can go try out the smoothie place. I really appreciate how kind you have been and I wanted to say thank you."
Her eyes filled up with tears and she moved towards me, her arms wide and hugged me. We smiled at each other, waved and went back to our separate lives. My gift today inspired me, felt amazing and reaffirmed my desire to keep giving. Believe me, I needed that.
No comments:
Post a Comment