Thursday, September 6, 2012

Laughing at myself


Laughing at myself

Most of the time, I sit at my computer and start writing. I don’t think about what I am going to write. Usually it works out okay. Because my thoughts are not like everyone else’s. Well, I don’t think anyone’s thoughts are like any one else’s.  So it is interesting to see where it will lead me.

Sometimes when I get to the end of a blog, or a story, or a status on Facebook, I read it and delete it! I think, “Where did that come from? No one wants to read that!”

But then sometimes I mull it over and think, “Well maybe someone will think this is funny, or quirky, but maybe they will think it is dumb and stupid, but it’s okay, cause I know what my feelings were when I wrote it.  People will know what I mean.I just don't want to be boring!

Well, then sometimes they don’t get it. Maybe that is because of what they are going through. They can’t relate. If I write about simple, funny things that happens to me, if they are in a hospital with a sick child, they may think it is petty and small and ridiculous. I should be sympathetic and empathetic. So, the writing goes on...I will not stop.

The other day I started writing my status on Facebook, and the words just flowed. I was not feeling anything but annoyance, and smiling to my self, at the ridiculousness of it all. I had to laugh at what I had written. It was the one where I had just gotten a tiny check from a publisher for my last book. That was about the 3rd check like that I had received from them, in the 4 years that is has been published. That book has cost me a lot of money and I have not made a penny on it. But I knew God wanted me to write it. It was not written for me to make money.

That day as I left the house to go to Cooper’s Garden Center to buy some flowers to plant, I passed by the bank and decided to cash the tiny check. Well, that was a ridiculous day from start to finish. I had to laugh at myself, and glad I had a sense of humor, every time something happened that was so annoying and stupid, I smiled to myself and said,“I need to write about this”.

The first thing that happened was even though I was the only one in line in the drive-through after a few minutes, it took a long time to cash that little bitty check…cause they had to go to the back and look to see if I had an account there and see how much money I had in there, in case the check bounced. (It was so big. $1.35)

Finally after 20 minutes they gave me my money and I drove to Coopers. It is south of Floresville half way to Poth, down a country road. Usually it is a nice drive and I love browsing through the gardens. Well that day it was hot and dry, and the road was dusty  as I drove through a cloud of sand…and the gate was closed, as they were not open that day!

Well what to do? I asked God “Where do you want me to go?” He said, “Just drive”.

I went back to Floresville, spotted the Sonic and pulled in there to get a Root Beer float. Do you know Sonic uses real ice cream? They have several flavors too. I sat there and drowned my sorrows in that float and I felt very happy.

Then I kept driving and saw the Dollar General on the right. Ah ha, I needed some things from there. I love shopping at the Dollar Store …more than HEB or Walmart…they are too big for me.

When I left there, I started to go home, but decided to go by Walmart and see if they had and flowers. That was a mistake. I hate Walmart. I can’t find anything there and the people that work there sometimes don’t know where anything is. But surely if I went in the garden store I could buy some plants or flowers.

I would not have to walk miles to find something. Well, I went to the garden store, looked around and could not see any flowers. I finally found a man who worked there and he said they didn’t have any flowers!!! This was a Super Walmart!!!

  They expected a truck in later this week or next week. I just laughed to myself and said, “That figures! Story of my day!” So, I bought a couple of green plants to plant in my pots on the porch. I drove home and chalked it up to one more day of annoyances.

But I was so glad they were annoying things, and I could laugh at myself, and I could always find something that had happened that was good. That is my philosophy you know - look for a silver lining in the dark clouds – there is always one if you just look.

I am so grateful that I can still drive a car, walk (though with a limp), see to drive without glasses, type on the computer (though my hands are crippled with arthritis), read with a Kindle, go to the Girls High School Volleyball games in Poth, go to an awesome church, and the list goes on….I am so glad to be alive still…

So today I am also happy that the Texas Rangers and the Dallas Cowboys won last night, and I am going to have a nice quiet day reading my new book, by John Grisham, and this weekend it is going to rain and we will have a "norther" and the weather will be cooler. And I can sit on the porch and it will be cool! Even in the shade these days it is 100 degrees!