A BAD DAY
image courtesy of photobucket.com
Everyone understands difficult days, the challenges of life and trying to forge ahead when it seems an invisible, mystical power is setting our world against us. My friend Lenna who is an author and makes and sells her art and crafts refers to it as Murphy’s Law. She kind of prodded me to write a post about it.
Mine might not be as good as hers, but I told her I’d give it a go. Lenna can be contacted at Lenna <mudnpourri@q.com> until she gets her site up and running.
The frustrations that come from having our goals or expectations unmet are the things epic stories and comedic illustrations are made of. Our modern world with all of it’s technologies and the expectations that accompany them have only added to our frustrations. Well, mine for sure.
Sometimes it starts first thing in the morning and continues all day long. “Great”! – “The breaker kicked in the bathroom”! I’m mumbling to myself right after I get out of bed. “Those stinkin’ kids”! – “What the heck are they doin’ in here anyway”!
By now the mumbling has died down into mostly inward thoughts mixed with a couple of early morning sighs and groans. “At least I should have enough juice to run my toothbrush,” I think to myself. I mean God forbid I break out the ole’ manual labor toothbrush to care for my dental hygiene like a barbarian…
I finish up, grab my keys, wallet, pocket knife, cell phone, and earpiece off my vanity. “Great”! – “That means my headset and phone haven’t been charged”! I’m back to talking out loud to myself and my wife if she’s within earshot. It’s always nice to share frustrations with someone else, isn’t it?
Into the kitchen, turn on the coffee maker and wait for it to warm up. “Come on – come on”!!! I demand of the trusty morning ritual provider. I press the button — Nothing… The digital read out says, “Refill water tank.” “Are you kiddin’ me”?!!! – “Again”? – “I don’t know why this dumb thing always runs out on me”?! More mumble talk…
Over to the sink to add new filtered reverse osmosis water from the small fixture that looks like the young offspring of the big water faucet in the center of the sink. “Man this thing is so slow”! – “I don’t have all day”! – “Thank goodness the coffee beans or the grounds don’t need to be changed this morning”! I’m not all negative you know…
As my cup of coffee is being ground and brewed, I like my flavored creamer heated up so it doesn’t cool my coffee off. I set the micro for 22 seconds, standing there in front of it, talking to it as well. “Alright already”! – “Let’s go”!
No wonder my dog Larry looks at me with a solemn look in the mornings. Sometimes I’ll ask him, “What”! – “What Lar”!!! He just looks at me, he never answers, he’s a pretty good dog.
Throughout the course of a typical day, my phone that connects me with anyone in the world and the internet will maybe drop an occasional call… That’s when I talk to my phone.
It’s an abusive relationship with my phone, I’m pretty hard on the little guy, “You piece uh garbage”!!! I know he’s doing the best he can, but sometimes that’s not good enough!
Often when the cell is working, and of course, I’m taking that for granted, Terry will call in the middle of the day from her cell, I know it’s her, caller ID you know. I don’t say “hello,” “how are you”? I’ll say something more like, “Let me guess, computers are down again?!!! “Yeah, they should be up soon, I’ll let you know when.” She faintly chuckles.
I’ll beat it across town to a meeting to find myself alone. I use my abused cell phone again. “Hello” or Hi Floyd”! they answer, I don’t wait for pleasantries, I start right in, “Did you forget something”?!!! I’m not really asking a question. Then the never acceptable excuses, “I’m having problems with my computer,” or, ” The printer is down,” or “So and so didn’t show up”!
Blood boils, temper flares, and adversity is met with harsh words, sometimes even after I get home…
That’s when a typical day of huge blessings with some inconveniences turn into a spoiled grown child’s bad day…
I remember as a kid being disciplined for acting like that. Truth be told, I’d punish mine for it…
Sometimes I just need to be reminded of what constitutes a truly bad day…
It’s an ugly thing, taking blessings for granted…
Wednesday, July 20, 2011 @ 5:25 pm
Type A people have more bad days then those other type people. One of my football coaches use to say … “it’s not what you accoumplished that made you better, it’s the adverisites that you had to overcome to accoumplish it”. Football coaches always had simple ways to state things, guess it was because they were dealing with simple minded players!! Bt
Wednesday, July 20, 2011 @ 6:04 pm
What a great adage. I’m going to have to remember that one. I’m not so sure the football players were so simple minded, I’m thinking it is because they are dealing with A type personalities and the quickest, simplest way to say it is usually the most effective. Oh, and yeah, most of you were ADD as well…
Wednesday, July 20, 2011 @ 5:39 pm
When I was still working at a job, we used to call it a “Bad Hair day.” I liked your ending reminder, that we just need to be reminded of what constitutes a truly bad day…
We are so truely blessed to live in these days, good and bad!
Wednesday, July 20, 2011 @ 6:06 pm
I absolutely agree Hazel. Each day is a gift and we’re to treat them like it. I used an analogy a few times of a little kid unwrapping a present like we do each day and throwing it over our shoulder looking for the next one. Thanks!
Wednesday, July 20, 2011 @ 5:45 pm
Hi Floyd! I can’t tell you how many times I have seen drivers (Phoenix and East Valley Dial A Ride) have a bad day. There was an incident one evening where a driver kicked the lift with me on it! Not acceptable right? Of course I reported him and the next time I saw the guy he was better behaved….thankfully. Any how, Brian is now 2!!! I don’t think I’ve told you, we are working with a speech therapist. He’s been making new sounds and is also learning sign language. I tell ya he learns fast! I also have some pics of his baptism that I would love to share with you. Catch ya later!
Wednesday, July 20, 2011 @ 6:09 pm
I’m not sure what I would do if I witnessed someone doing that to you. You know I despise injustice and when it happens to my friends it burns even deeper.
I’m looking forward to seeing pictures of Junior! Is he crawling on the ceiling yet? Thanks for stopping in Brenda, It always brightens my day.
Sunday, July 24, 2011 @ 11:12 am
Floyd
Them bad days are BadddddddddddddddddddddddddI have had my share of them ! Loved your story and i hope you got your coffee !!
Sunday, July 24, 2011 @ 12:06 pm
Thanks Patty! Oh yeah, I got the coffee, it’s a hard start without it!
Wednesday, July 27, 2011 @ 10:33 pm
That was today for me. And I’m a giant jerk to my computer and everything else. I love and baby my iphone though 😉
that was a pathetic plug, but oh well. Glad to hear you’re human.
Thursday, July 28, 2011 @ 6:29 am
Maybe I should switch? I have a droid and it works well enough, it’s just the service in isolated spots, which I think is probably typical everywhere. Funny how we so quickly lose perspective isn’t it?
Friday, July 29, 2011 @ 9:30 pm
If something “bad” happens within the first 2 hours of my day, I shamefully confess, I allow it to ruin my entire day. By the same token, I can be in a great mood and my husband can call about his “bad” day and – poof – my day will go from good to bad in a matter of minutes!. And, bless his heart, he will get the blame for ruining a perfectly good day!
I really, really have to work at staying focused. It’s much easier to just go with the flow, good or bad, than it it to stay focused – choosing to be patient, choosing to be kind, choosing…
I, too, have disciplined my children for inappropriately expressing frustration; wonder where they learned that?
Saturday, July 30, 2011 @ 9:15 am
Ain’t that the truth?! I need to give my self a good slap on the face every once in a while. We’re so spoiled as you so poignantly reflected in another comment, we have to stop and put things in perspective. Thanks for the great reminder that it is a choice. The power over our lives is given to us by God to make that choice. Well said Pat. Thanks.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011 @ 10:29 am
Boy are you right! You have to stop breathe and think of all the wonderful things we have, (or at least a few). I always start with family and its at least better for a few moments until something else goes wrong. There was a time in my life when it wasn’t in me to think of God’s gifts. I’d simply get madder and meaner. I’m very fortunate today.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011 @ 10:41 am
I hear you Brad! I’m fascinated with how God can change our perspective and while nothing else changes, a whole new world is revealed to us. He is amazing. It’s so much easier to go through life with a little peace than all that poison. For me anyway, and you… I think I know you well enough to speak on your behalf every once in a while!