Today is Get Surprised By
People Day. Well, not officially, but
for me it is.
First of all, it’s hot as
the blazes of Hell outside partly because of the temperature but mostly due to
the humidity. I decide to go for a
walk/jog, but I’m sticking close to home.
There’s no way I’m going to make three miles today. I live in the middle of a giant circle that
goes uphill by one church then downhill by another. Once I’ve passed both cemeteries, I’m
home. This continuous loop keeps me
going for about forty minutes, and I pop into my driveway after each circuit of
walking uphill/jogging downhill so I can suck down some water.
I keep passing the same
scenery and maneuvering around the same trash cans and parading past the same
construction workers two houses away. On
one of my passes, a neighbor and his son are outside watering plants. I am laboring a little, so I don’t have the
breath to say hello, but I do nod at them.
This is when I get surprise number one.
Inside the large front window is a little girl staring at me as I
pass. I grin at her and keep going.
The second person to
surprise me is my youngest. He is
supposed to be working two jobs today and going straight from one to the
other. Unfortunately for him, he forgot
some lacrosse equipment he needs for his evening job. Fortunately for him, his supervisor allows
him to leave early so he can shoot home and grab his gear. Surprise!
I am just about to throw together some dinner, and now I have someone to
eat with because he is home (momentarily).
The third surprise comes
when I decide to bake son’s birthday cake.
Tomorrow is his birthday, and again he is working double shifts at two
different jobs at diametrically opposed points on the map. I figure I’ll go shopping to get the cake mix
and frosting, so I ask my pal if she’s in the mood for a quick ride to the
store. She is prepping for a long
cross-country car trip, so I figure there is no way I can convince her to join
me, but she happily jumps in the car and rides along, surprising me with good
company and some hearty laughs.
The fourth surprise occurs
while I’m in line at the grocery store.
One of my coworkers is standing right next to me to get my
attention. I really like this coworker –
plus, her kitchen has a magic drawer that’s full of all kinds of tea. Surprise!
The last surprise happens
after I get home and have baked and decorated the cake. My daughter texts me to say she’s available
for an evening celebration for her brother’s birthday. This is awesome because now we can meet him
somewhere in between his jobs and take him to dinner, making this more of a
party than a stop in between careers.
It may not be for you (or
for anyone else, for that matter), but today for me really is Get Surprised By
People Day. It’s almost midnight, folks;
there’s still time to get in on the surprise.
(P.S. Best surprise -- Son's second job is cancelled so he will be available all evening for dinner and cake and partying!)
(P.S. Best surprise -- Son's second job is cancelled so he will be available all evening for dinner and cake and partying!)
