The day started well. I slept well and woke up at 4:30 to a fellow author, a book on The Power of Positive Thinking Ghostwriting E-mail. I want to promise a few examples of my own philosophy. Do you know that the nature of the material is infused with optimism and growls rhapsodic enthusiasm?
The e-mail was more of a treatise on the adjustment mechanisms, or "How to be happy when the world falls around you." I recommend "with joy in the little things" and gave some examples thathelped me in the past, such as soaking in the sun or absorb the beauty of the winter wheat field with glittering ice. If all else fails, I list the things for which I should be grateful, like: "At least I'm not in a ditch in Iraq, as our poor, brave soldier," or "I'm not riddled with cancer."
I know. It almost sounds naive. I worked as a male "Pollyanna" in front. But hell, I find it through these hard times ... and it works!
AfterWriting, I showered, made my lunch, kissed goodbye to my grandchildren, and slipped into my parka. I was looking for my car keys. They were not there! I shrugged my shoulders, decided later, the mystery solved, and grabbed the spare set. I ventured into the blackness of early morning and headed for the car. The light has not come when I opened the door. A sinking feeling settled in my stomach. They were my keys hanging in the ignition, turned to the "ACC" position!
Daughter # 3, back homefrom college for Thanksgiving, retrieved something from the van and apparently turned the key, for some unknown reason. There they had a long time over the weekend.
I searched the barn and found a number of cables. First, I ran back to the car, took a spare key for my mother-in-law's car, and felt it in position. In the pitch dark, I felt under the hood release on my van. Where was the damn lever? I could not find him. I grabbed the flashlight, which hadcomplacently waiting for such an emergency in its holder, because scans last year at Christmas, and again. There was no catch!
Against every fiber of my being, I confessed that I needed to read the damn manual. I found it after scratching around in the glove compartment. The print was tiny - I needed my Cheapo drugstore reading glasses. I think a couple on my bedside table and in the workplace. I sighed, then dropped a rogue pair that was hidden in my pocket from my last book signing.
Forthe next five minutes, I turned into treacherous guide 'simple owner "until I finally found a diagram of the car. It was a hood release, but it looked like it on the seat. I'm back on my knees and searched. I pushed and pushed and pulled everything in sight. I looked at the chart again with his fingers covered in grease. Wait a minute! Did I read the chart wrong? Perhaps it is the lower left side near the gas tank lever! I once again fell on his knees. Therewas used to hide the corner, so I can see craning my neck to the car actually is.
Good for deterring car thieves, bad for the stupid new van owners.
The hood was. I one side of the battery connected. Red positive, black to negative. The cable would not reach from rechargeable battery. I needed another measly inches. I sighed, stood, in the other car, it does support it in the nose and closer. So close that my noisy rose bush caught me every time I squeezed past him.Finally it was done. The van roared to life.
But alas, it was not over.
Breathe. Just breathe.
The radio flashed the word "code" and the clock was blank. A faint memory tickle in my brain ... the security system! The seller gave me a card with a code. Where I had hidden them? Then it was in my wallet. The only problem was, I could not read the fine print. I patted my pocket for my glasses. They were not there. No, they were stuck on my peanut butter toast. Iwiped them out, put the code, and directed the work.
I growled. As the sun began to rise. The sun kissing the undersides of the clouds that glowed gold, gray and lavender on the horizon. As I drove north, the rays reach higher, a division of pale pink fingers of dawn.
I began to feel good again, optimistic about the day and really enjoyed reconnecting with my colleagues at work. Then I saw the railroad crossing. I was already late for work and prayed that Ito communicate without stopping.
The lights flashed and fell the railing. I have the car in park and laughed at me. Loud. There was a belly laugh. And it felt great.
Ah, the power of positive thinking.
Now, how do I reset the hellish dash clock?
