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I am a quote lover and one that routinely comes into my mind has been attributed to Maya Angelou:
“I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage and tangled Christmas tree lights.”
Who hasn’t had any of these happen? Has anyone had a double up like me (lost luggage in the rain)?
For years, 26 of 'em, we’ve had a Christmas decorating routine. Hubby sets up the tree with my help. He puts on the lights because it’s prickly, and he does such a fabulous job hiding the wires. I hang the ornaments. In theory, it is a good plan.
Countless times when the kids were little, we would decorate the tree the day following hubby’s setup. Every time it seemed to me the branches needed the tiniest bit of tidying up before hanging the ornaments. Invariably, I’d get distracted and cut a wire shorting the whole tree. Darn it anyway!
Year after year, this would happen.
Year after year, hubby would go to OSCO for more lights to restring. (The following year he'd remind me not to trim. Do I listen?)
I truly applaud his patience and mild temperament because I probably would have expressed my frustration far less calmly. Just a helpful hint, hide behind a kid if this happens to you!
I’ve seen a multitude of veins almost bursting over lost luggage.
Carrying an umbrella is a must if you live in Chicago in the Springtime. Or Summer, and sometimes Winter.
If I may, I would like to add to Maya’s list. The accidental coverage in Sweet Baby Ray’s. Yes, this indeed happened to me on Sunday while tailgating before a football game at Soldier Field (Yes, the Bears STINK!!!).
I heard the gasp before reality sunk in. My shoes, socks and, fresh out of the dryer clean jeans were completely sauced in wet goo. It's a documented fact I hate to do laundry.
The guy, who dropped the Costco sized container, felt horrible. I had to stop him from mopping off my pants.
All I could think to say was,
“Hey, don’t worry about it. My dog will love me when I get home.”
As a bonus, I did score grilled shrimp, a beer, and a cupcake later.
Some things simply aren’t worth making a fuss over.
I've noticed over the years how my responses to things have changed. I try to put the lights away neatly, but they always wind up tangled. I sit on the floor and take them apart rather than fling them around screaming fuck fuck fuck, I hate Christmas (because I expect I'll stub my toe and it'll be my own fault). Sometimes it's just not worth it.
ReplyDeleteMe, too, and now that the kids are grown, but one can still raise my blood pressure! My husband is so calm, sometimes I have to touch his wrist to check for a pulse.
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