I was at a red light today in the car and took a look around me; no good songs on the thousands of radio stations I tried so the people watching commenced. So many people. So many different people. One guy was Mr. GQ and quite proud of it-had the shades going on, perfect hair, great tan, perfectly ironed and starched white shirt, quite the catch I suppose if you go for that stuff. Had the other guy to my right blaring the speaker system and the bass was so loud I know he had to be deaf but bless his heart, he was jammin away and lovin it, not caring who was looking-had the long blond hair that could have been washed any day now (it needed it) but man he was happy. Then there was the lady behind me on the phone putting on her lipstick and every now and then I'd see her turn around to say something to what I suppose was a child in the back seat but the whole time on the phone. We made eye contact and I knew she was a nice person, just doing too much at one time (hmm). I realized that we are all here and want the same things but maybe some of us don't know it. It's crazy really. And there I was observing like I was some kind of seersayer; and who do I think I am anyway peeking around characterizing everyone? Who knows if they were doing the same thing and what in God's name they might have said about me.....
Have you ever stopped when someone didn't expect you to like at a Wal Mart to let them pass by foot? They look at you and smile, they thought you were going to keep driving like all the other hundreds of people and one kind thing; bam. You made their day. So they pass and they wave and they have a smile on their face. How easy was that? OR you let someone in at a crazy traffic pattern even though the people behind you are losing their mind that they want to be in front of the guy in front of you in front of the next person already and they beep at you like 'why did you stop and let them in dammit?'. But you go on because you know you made someone happy and where were you going anyway there are ten thousand cars all around you and you don't suddenly have wings to fly over it all... so the guy behind you stews and stews and you can't really help him but you feel good and the guy you get in waves at you in the rear view mirror like 'thanks' ; bam. You made their day (well maybe that's a stretch but at least made their hour).
Let me end with something totally off the wall. When I was little, there was a song by Hewey Lewis and the News, "I want a new drug". My sister, Mindy, would sing it at the top of her lungs like this, "I want a new TRUCK". Maybe we were like 12 and 9 or something, I can't remember, maybe younger. Anyhow, I never forgot that and to this day, Ivan and I will get a chuckle out of it since he has enjoyed the story too. I would tease her to no end, she always thought she was right and I thought I was right. Turns out I was right. :) Flash forward to today. Noah gets home from school and starts singing this song by Kelly Clarkson, "Since You Been Gone" and he's first humming it, then breaks out into song and I'm grinning ear to ear because first of all, I realize how what I listen to is so impactful to him and they (little kids) are soaking up the words to every song you play in front of them and his little voice was just singing it out and then it hit me, (second of all) he was singing the main chorus wrong. I think it's supposed to be " Since you been gone, I can dream (or breathe --even I don't know) for the first time" and he's singing it like this, "Since you been gone, I get a treat for the first time" and I turn around and look at Ivan and we are both smiling so big because we want to laugh but it's so cute and he really thinks those are the words...just like I want a new truck. Oh funny stuff. Too funny. Maybe you had to be here but I even told him no, it's like this and Ivan said basically, no let him sing it like that. So there we were, me cooking dinner, Ivan encouraging Noah to sing it wrong, just so we all could have a good laugh and have fun. Just funny moments.
I'm really rambling now. Crazy days. Do one kind thing for a stranger and also revel in those around you. Maybe that's the answer to it all.
PS sorry minner.....it IS a funny story.
J
You cook, you clean, you go to work, you nourish, you love, you scold, you are professional and yet you hang your hat on every dust particle in your home. You are a woman. Some women are Moms and some are not. You are still a woman. We are all made similarly. We are strong.
1 comment:
In my house I am the one that sings the songs wrong and the boys always say "momma it's suppose to be..." its my way of making sure they are paying attention.
I often look at the people in cars around me. I think "are they happy? how far in debt are THEY? where are they going" blah blah.
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