People are good.

I see that people are willing to help you when they recognize how they might fit into your life, to make your life easier and more enjoyable. To illustrate (because I like so much to draw conclusions and guns and stickmen): Recently, I was waiting in the van for my Mother to run into the store; two seconds later, an unknown lady knocked on my window, interrupting an impromptu groove session.
Unrolled, sheepish grin, "Hi..."
It was dark outside so she couldn't see me dancing. Too bad she wasn't deaf too. Anyway, undeterred, she waved a child's knitted mitten in front of me and asked, "Is this yours? I found it on the ground by the rear door of your van."
"Hmm, Oh, thanks! It could be; I have a 3-year-old sister.. Thanks!" I said with glee, but overdid it, still recollecting from the shock of her window knock.

And off she went into the night of anonymity. Well, into Shoppers Drugmart. I really was appreciative, -- just to know by her act, that people are observant and paying attention to their surroundings. This 'aware' characteristic I admire in others. Mindfulness. (I like to know that at least somebody is paying attention when I am off in lalaland.)

Another time, unloading groceries into the van: The parking lot was full and I was pushing one of those 6-wheeled, impossible-to-steer-without-hitting-every-display, transformed-into-a-kids-car shoppingcarts (to keep my brother entertained for the first 4 minutes of our 2 hour shopping adventure). So, in the parking lot, I had to manoeuvre the cart-o'-joy behind the van, to unload. The only open space through which I could remove the cart was the parking spot directly beside the van. And guess what? A car pulled into that spot! A super opportunity to exercise great restraint in teaching Bjorn extracurricular words. Anyway, the woman came over and asked me, from a safe distance away (she could see the smoke escaping from my flared nostrils) if I had enough room for the cart. The dragon instinct appeased, I smiled and confirmed that all was well. And all was well.

Friendly place, this life. These are relatively minor happenings, yes, but with kids, little happenings are huge happenings. The Snowball Effect. How can you make and throw a snowball with only one mitten? Exactly. Ask for help.

"Ever since I can remember, I've always wanted to tell stories, but I never had the patience to sit down at a typewriter and write short stories or anything like that. I started writing songs as a way of communicating ideas the best way I could." - Rob Thomas



Rob Thomas. My taste in music is turning Adult Contemporary. :-o Nature or nurture? Both? Discuss.