Thoughts of Spring

It is so easy to get caught up in the busy schedule of Life.

Often we as people do not take time to appreciate simple things.

I see it more and more as the older I become. Hurry, Scurry, no..
time to sit and visit....to send a card, watch the children
playing, heck to even LET the children play! Don't do that,
don't sit there, behave, don't laugh or giggle....ssshhhh.

Sometimes I have to do things I do not wish to do. More often
than I would like to admit. But when I do face these challenges,
I try to make the most of a bad situation.

A couple of times this past early Spring this has happened.
I had car trouble on the way to visit my daughters last month.
Spending time in a Used Car dealership was not my idea of fun,
especially when it took time away from being with my family.

Did I get depressed? Sad? Down? No. I did not let myself get upset.
Ok, ok, those of you who know me know that I took it with a grain of
salt....stressed and tormented and all in turmoil on the inside.
Ok, on the outside too. That poor Car Salesman earned his lowly dollar that day! I ranted and raved and test drove every car they
had on the lot that I remotely liked.

In the end, I called my Banker, called my husband, called all my kids....until I finally started to calm down. There was an up side to the entire thing...and I reached and searched for the good things in this experience.

It was a gorgeous Spring day! The breeze was brisk but invigorating. The location was not bad, good things to see. Places to shop near by.
I was not stranded in the middle of no where all alone. I could have had a much worse day.

While I waited, not so patiently, I saw another stranded car abandoned while someone just gave up entirely. Further on in
my trip, I saw a family calling on a cell phone from a broken
down car on the other side of the Interstate.

Then as I finally was near my destination, I stopped to see
if my youngest Daughter was home from work. She was not, so I
continued to the other Daughter's home where I was intended
to arrive 4 hours earlier. As I neared the exit where I needed
to turn, there had been an accident that was blocking both lanes.
Now THOSE people involved in that were having a BAD day. I was
able to appreciate my good fortune in not being involved some
way in that accident. Had I not made that 10 minute side trip,
I feel I might have been. It is all in the attitude toward what
happens to us. The glass truly is half full or half empty. It
depends on how we choose to see it.

I also had a good breakfast and a safe place to wait. The people there were very patient and accomodating...coffee was plenty and so was a warm showroom. I kept thinking how much worse off I could have been. This car trouble had happened to me 3 times before, so I really didn't even panic as I had the other times that I had faced this adversity. This time the car did not die in the middle of traffic...I was pulled safely off the interstate.

I was much mmore appreciative of my children once I finally arrived
safely than I might have been had things gone smoothly.

This past week, I had to get the truck serviced a few miles from home. I always sit in the local Coffee Shop while the work is done
because otherwise I have to make arrangements to leave the vehicle being serviced and then once again a way to pick it up later...or the next day. We have done this in the past when work was involved on my part. The past few years it has been a nice break for me to be able to spend time on my writing, reading or whatever project I can take with me. The time goes fast and usually only involves a bit over an hour of my time. I count myself very lucky in that I can enjoy such a gift of time. There is a time in my past that I would have fretted and been frantic about having to take that time out of my day.

I used this time to observe other people. Since I am starting to do more and more writing, I welcome the time to listen and learn. There are many things a person can learn sitting and just being part of the scenery. The coffee was hot and tasty, and I managed to avoid the temptation of the most delecious looking and large Cinnamon Rolls I have ever seen. I felt in control and relaxed and invigorated having walked up town from the local Repair Gas Station.

I am learning that such a place is fast fading fom the landscape.
The place in Council Bluffs where I had the car fixed my last trip to see that Daughter has since folded and closed it's doors. The Small Business person is fast losing out. That is a topic for another time.

My point to this wandering is that I got to get out and enjoy 2 wonderful Spring Days. Days that I might have spent inside had the
ways of the world not intervened. I managed to turn an otherwise negative experience into an investigation of people, nature and Me.

It was time well spent.

Hugs my Friends,

Katie