Some of the very best things in life are absolutely free. We have experiences which make the universe seem like it is made to operate functionally. Maybe it is still cold and uncaring, but in the sense that it is a perfect machine, one that we just don’t know how to use. Maybe this is the Tao I have heard mentioned before? Whatever it is, it makes life feel pretty good.
There are dozens, probably even hundreds of little things like these peppering our days. And, of course, it is highly subjective. Some of you may have things in your lives that others of you wouldn’t feel warmth over. I reckon that just as long as you notice and appreciate your own, that can sustain you for another little while. Attitude your gratitude, or however those words go together. Get grAttitude.
All Components of Meal Timed Perfectly
Chefs must be a very satisfied group of people, because when I cook a meal that contains more than one dish, it is up in the air as to whether or not they will all come out at the time of serving. Often, three quarters of a meal will be colder than the rest, and I shout something about being thankful anyway. “Yer lucky to have it!” As I slowly gain cooking experience, I get better and better at timing things, but the thrill I get from it working out has never diminished. I feel like a wizard. I cooked with the very fabric of space and time with dashes of luck seasoned to taste and it was scrumptious!
Interpreting a Pet Demand
Animals generally don’t speak human languages, but they seem to try to communicate to us, loudly and insistently. Sometimes, the attempt to appease that clear demand turns out to be right on the first try! That uplifting feeling of having “understood” your animal friend is soul nourishing. You know how satisfied Dr. Doolittle must have felt, or would have if it wasn’t a fiction. But you are a FACT, and also get to experience the bonus joy of having the pet shut up sooner rather than later. Exquisite.
Wheels in Alignment
A shopping cart, a wheelbarrow, a human traffic car — these are all symbols of errands and chores, so when they have a stuck wheel, a pull to one side, ANYTHING that is even mildly annoying, it feels like a catastrophe. On the other hand, if everything is smooth and fine, life becomes manageable, even blissful. If I happen to have a perfect shopping cart, given to me by a benevolent wheel god, then it is almost a pleasure to be in a grocery store. I become a clear mountain stream gliding over rounded rocks, unblemished and pure for the drinking.
“Rain Rain Go Away” Chant Finally Works
It’s a drizzly gross day and you keep putting off leaving the house because of it. But you have errands! You need to go! Right as you open the door, the rain subsides. A sunbeam flickers through the clouds. You have been rewarded for braving the elements by having those elements removed! Admittedly, this is one that I have only experienced a few times because I am a shut-in, but the memories of when it has happened keep me buoyant when I think of them. There is an almost supernatural lightness of being when you see the rain stop right before your very eyes, right before you are inconvenienced by raindrops on your fabric. If you happen to see a rainbow at this time, all the better. The entire day is enchanted and imbued with capital G Goodness.
An Exchanged Glance
A whirlwind of incredibly stupid moments seems to be swirling around us any time we step into a social setting with unknown variables. There is nothing finer in all of human existence than to witness someone you don’t like, or maybe even don’t know, doing something incredibly annoying, and then you glance at a friend, or maybe even a stranger, and they also glance at you in the same moment. Understanding flows between your eyes and your brains. Wordlessly, you both say everything you need to say, in an instant. And you are each left with a warm gladness in your hearts that works to combat the daunting cold of an aggravating world.
Bonus Feeling: Unexpected Inspiration
This may only pertain to me, but this one happens pretty frequently. There are times when I realize we have no content ready for the day, and Dollissa is busy with working for her real job, and instead of just immediately giving up and going back to bed where nothing can hurt me, I sit still at my desk and then something happens that inspires me to write a one thousand word article in less than an hour. These are the most magical times, where a real sense of relief and yes, even $UCCE$$ washes over me and I can stay awake for the rest of the day, more productive than I would have been without it. Thanks for exchanging a glance with me today, Manny! It worked!