Vaporizing the Mullygrubs by Angie Ledbetter

Ug. You know how some mornings you get up and just feel sluggish and oogie? Today was one of those days. And it didn't help that my sleep last night was frequently interrupted by my spouse (a.k.a. Snorelax) and then the old dog scratching on my bedroom door at 6:00 a.m. for I-don't-know-what. I guess she was alerting me that two of my teens were getting ready for school. (They finally get to an age to dress and drive themselves...yet the dog still alerts the Momma!)

It's gray and misty outside too, with the tail end of a tropical storm passing by our area on its way back out to the Gulf, and hopefully a quiet death. I've got a list of TO DO chores I don'twanna, but haffta. Oh, and to add insult to injury, I am out of cream for my coffee! In general, it's just one of those days I'd rather be in sunny Mexico, up on Kat's mountain, beside a lake with silvery waves shimmering, anywhere but here.

Okay, I think, on the way to a nearby convenience store for the cream, how can I make this day better and find something that rings the gratitude bell? Praying helps, and so does counting the blessings I tucked under my pillow before going to sleep last night. Not cussing rude drivers on my trip down the street makes me feel better. Thinking of good stuff to come this week and listening to a funny morning radio show also dispels some of the yuck from my morning. But what else can I do to tip the scales of apathy and dark mood toward the sunnier side?

Ah, I know! See that young guy getting the clerk to scan various breakfast items? The eggy burrito...$2.99, then he's back with a package of muffins...$1.78. Finally, a giant cheese-egg-bacon biscuit...$2.26. He tugs at his baseball cap, shuffles his flip flops and counts out the change in his hand again, just barely in my peripheral view. I sneak the big biscuit combo to the register with me, ask the clerk if this is the item the guy in the cap last price checked. She gives me a nod and a smile as she rings it up with my cream purchase. We exchange a wink as she puts the biscuit in a small brown bag and folds it nicely. Nonchalantly, I hand the bag to the guy on my way out and say, "Good morning," without any fanfare. "Thanks," he mumbles, confused and maybe a little shocked.

His old jeep is parked right next to mine by the door. His face is beautiful as the smile widens beneath his Nike cap. "Hey, THANKS!" he shouts. He pockets his change, jumps into the open-sided vehicle, and salutes me with two fingers to his cap's bill as I back out.

NOW my day is much better. I love this life. Love spontaneity and the opportunities each day presents. They are unlimited...just as our capacity for turning things around is...by listening to our hearts' and crazy minds' promptings.