A Saturday to say thanks for

Being my typical self —on the go and in a hurry— I was attempting to get my Saturday rolling, and yes…later than I had intended. Because I planned my day to a tee, I took extra precautionary measures by packing a bag full of anything I may possibly need, just in case of a wardrobe or make-up emergencies.

Living on the Westside, when my whole life resides on the Southside, requires me to hit the open road many times a week. So, I jump on the highway and southbound I am, until…it dawns on me…I forgot my entire make-up bag! And yes, halfway to my destination!

Side note: Before you decide this is a completely ridiculous act, please take note that every female is very particular about their make-up. Therefore —for this girl— using my girlfriend’s make-up will just not do. To better your understanding, for all you males out there, this would be like using a friend’s glove to play ball. It just doesn’t fit nor does it feel or look right.

So, without thinking twice I get off at the nearest exit and head back, eastbound this time. Trying to make up for lost time, I was doing exactly what my mother hated, (especially since I am on her car insurance) yep, you guessed it…speeding!

Stopped at a red light, I look to my left and see a homeless person with a sign that reads, “Homeless, Please help. God Bless.” Being the journalist I am, of course I took note that there was no punctuation. and decided to fix that for her (just for the sake of the grammar in this story and my compulsive, editing tendencies).

The light turned green and here I am stuck behind the Taurus in front of me. “What an inconvenience, they’re only going to buy booze,” I find myself blurting out. I decide to pass in the right lane and quickly dart back over to the left lane, shortly after passing the Taurus.

I make it about half a mile and find myself now stuck behind a utility van; you know, the ones with the obnoxious ladders on top? With the speed limit being 45, there was no way I was going to settle for the tortoise speed of 40! Feeling like Danika Patrick at this point, I whip back into the right lane and then rapidly drift back into the left.

For some reason unbeknownst to me, I check the unhurried van, now behind me, through my rear view mirror. In literally, 1…2…3 seconds — not kidding, you could have counted them out— the orange ladder off the top of the van flies off, landing right where my windshield would have been. Let’s take note of the words “would have been,” thank the lord!

To top off all the irony, the Taurus that had done a good deed was just far enough back to swerve the ladder without being hit. Freaked out beyond belief, I decided to slow my journey to retrieve my make-up bag, considering my heart rate was speeding enough for the both of us.

After running inside my humble abode, I settle back into Gary —Gary the Gallant— and head back southbound...again. After my near death experience, well kind of, I decide to call my mother instead of texting while driving, this time. After telling her the story, I decided to drive without the radio on. If you know anything about me, you would know this is very out of the ordinary. While I drove, I reflected back on what just happened and the conversation with my mother.

Being the divine person she is, I remembered a good point she had brought to my attention. Sometimes we need to stop, slow down and thank the lord for each and everyday.

Ignoring all the philosophy classes I was forced to take in college, without a doubt in my mind, at that very moment, I knew there was a higher being looking after me that strange Saturday.

It’s funny the experiences thrown our way in order to open our eyes. We must appreciate each day we are given, for it could be our last. Slowing down and saying thanks should be something we pride ourselves on. If we continuously better ourselves by showing more gratitude, God will be good to us.

So today I challenge you to give thanks to those who deserve it. Be thankful for what you have and the people around you. Life is too short to dwell on the past or feel sorry for ourselves. We must live our lives to the fullest.

With that said, I will leave you with a quote by William James, "Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact."

And believing is exactly what I intend to do. =)

-C. Ann