November 09th, 2017

Got this in the mail yesterday. Note please, that it is addressed to MISTER Sam Humphreys.  Clearly this person does not actually know me or anything about me. I threw it away. But I didn't get mad or even annoyed.  Makes it easier to sort the mail.  This piece of mail actually was from a crematory society suggesting that I "Plan Ahead".  That also didn't bother me.  They have a business that they need to keep healthy which means they need clients. Everybody does what they gotta do and the first and most important job of  any business is being successful. So I get it.

I'm a fairly even keeled individual.  I do not often lose my cool.  I generally laugh off what other people might get steamed about.  When I worked at the audiology office, there were often phone calls following any postal mail promotion from angry people, incensed that we had the audacity of send them mail they didn't want to receive.  Some calls were just requesting that their name be removed from our mailing list. That's fine, we can do that.  But other people would just rant and rave and threaten and altogether act completely out of proportion to the situation.  Those people we would hear out, assure them that if they gave us their name and address we would have them removed from the mailing list and even then they would be angry refusing to give us the information.   *insert much shaking of head here*  I was always astounded and a little amused that people actually make angry phone calls because they received promotional mail.  I always wanted to suggest that they just throw it away.  Just toss it!  Chill! 

I also had a brief visit from representatives of particular church.  Everywhere I've ever lived I've had periodic and unrequested pop-in visits from these people.  But I don't get angry about it.  Instead I step outside and listen to them.  I nod and smile and when they suggest that I visit their church I smile and politely decline.  Their visits are brief, they are perfectly polite and pleasant and it takes nothing from me to hear them out.  Is it ever going to change my mind?  Nope.  But it costs me nothing to be gracious.

A few days ago while zooming around the house doing 12 things at once, which is sort of my thing, I crashed into the coffee table.  Now the coffee table is actually more like a large wooden chest on little muffin feet.  The coffee table has been in the spot it's in from about a year and a half.  This is not new information.  And to make it more ridiculous, when I cannot sleep at night I often get up and go to the family room, in total darkness mind you, which means walking by this coffee table and never once even stubbed a toe on it.  I have a bruise roughly the size of Rhode Island on my leg from this crash which actually moved the table I hit it so hard but all I could do was sit there laughing at myself.  I certainly didn't get PO'd.

Somebody, somewhere along the line, scratched my glass cooktop.  This is a new scratch and it's a good big one too.  No idea how it happened or who the culprit is.  No point in getting my hackles up over it.  I sighed and finished cleaning the stovetop (which is how I noticed it, I thought it was spilled food) and went on with my life.  Getting angry isn't going to fix it.

I bought some lovely autumn coloured chrysanthemums for the courtyard in late September.  They looked so pretty. For about a minute and a half.  Almost the instant they reached their new home they began to die.  I nurtured and babied and encouraged them along and finally gave up entirely on one and threw it away.  Eight bucks in the trash. Oh well.  The other one is still limping along.  The way I see it, it's nearly time to decorate for Christmas anyway. What the heck.  So naturally,  I bought a replacement to keep the sick one company.  I figure they can keep each other company in what is clearly a flower pot death camp for the rest of the month.  That's just the circle of life, especially with plants.  Wait until I put poinsettias out there.  You can nearly watch them as they fade away.  It's the oddest thing. But nothing to get upset over.  I could just buy fake plants if I insist upon plants at all!

None of that stuff makes me mad.  It's just stuff.  It either makes me laugh or I just shrug, deal with it and move on.

On the other hand, I recently saw somebody in the grocery store shopping with an elderly person.  They were shopping just ahead of me.  From the conversation, which everyone in the next three aisles was privy to, the women were mother and daughter.  The daughter was horrible to her mother.  Not physically harming her in any way - I would have been on the phone immediately over that - but impatient, rude, unreasonable and unkind.  The daughter said nothing threatening - again, cell phone in my hand - but it was enough to make me sad and uncomfortable.  I was debating whether or not to say anything and if so, what exactly would I say, when the older woman fumbled and dropped the box of tea she was holding.  I reached for it, automatically as I heard the daughter blister her mother verbally, "For God's sake mom, stop touching things!". I stood up and handed the box back to the mother with a smile.  I made sure she had a good hold of it with both hands and said, "Slippery little devils eh?"  The woman smiled back warmly.  Her daughter marched over and snatched it from her mothers hand, glared at me and said to me, "You aren't helping.  I'm trying to teach her something here."  I kept eye contact with the daughter and responded, "I'm trying to teach you something too".  I wished them both a good day and went on my way leaving the daughter mouth agape and fury in her eyes. 

That made me mad.

I'm expecting guests today hurrah!  So I'm taking a 3-day weekend my friends.  Enjoy the rest of your week and we will meet back here on Monday, deal?

Hugs all 'round