:: anne in the attic ::

Create Your Own Countdown

:: Sunday, July 02, 2006 ::

The world is so full of evil people that I just don't know how to keep them all from having anything to do with my personal life any more-- they're just too numerous to keep track of anymore. And it's not humanly possible to stand guard over every aspect of my life at every minute. Some bad people always manage to get in somehow and do some damage. That's not to say that there aren't good people too-- it's just that even one manipulative bad person can do so much damage that it takes so many more good people to balance the scales against one evil soul. How do we protect ourselves? I try to be invisible. Still, bad people who want what you have will try to take it. Or if they can't take it away from you, then they will try to take you down. I am sick of trying to defend my life against people like this, but I am at a loss as to what I can do about it.

:: Anne 1:44 PM [smartass remarks] ::
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Feels like the universe has been teasing me a little-- playing a version of "bait & switch" with me. Funny, my awareness of "expectations" has been enhanced and even stretched some, maybe.

Case #1 in point: A couple of days ago I went to go watch a softball game. I checked the schedule posted on the website, and showed up accordingly, only to find that the game had been earlier and the schedule was incorrect. So after bidding adieu to those I met in the parking lot, I tooled over to my brother's house on a whim and, I believe, had a much better time there, as well as dispersing some unpleasantness that had been lingering formerly.

Case #2 in point: On the way home from a department store yesterday, I decided to make an unscheduled stop and ran into a friend. Microbrews and grilling followed, and an altogether lovely evening of conversation and catching up that had been a long time coming.

Case #3 in point: After dinner, I had another stop to make to do some pet sitting. I chose to go a different way home, and as I was passing an ice cream store, decided to stop and indulge. There's this flavor that nobody else has-- ever-- and these guys only have it in summer. It's called lemon custard ice cream and it's the best in the world. I'm not really supposed to have ice cream, but I do sometimes. Well, it must have been meant to be, because they had it-- but I got the LAST pint out of the bottom of the container. I was pretty damn happy.

Case #4 in point: Today, I thought I'd stop by the Saturday Market to see a friend who has a booth there and comes in from out of town, maybe share a cup of coffee for a bit. She wasn't there. So I decided to walk the loop, and when I came to the music stage, lo and behold! A local musician I adore but hadn't seen in performance for a couple of years was playing that hour, so I stayed and listened in a state of bliss while I drank my coffee.

Interesting to me that, had the timing of all of those decisions about going someplace differed a little either way, the thing that happened would probably not have happened. So for the past couple of days, I've felt rather lucky to be in a "right place at the right time" zone. I know these things can't last forever, and I don't expect it to, but the idea that what I was expecting to happen didn't, yet something unexpected and good did happen instead helps shape a better attitude about expectations and disappointment. Various conversations I've had lately have also touched upon that subject, so it must be important for me to be paying attention to it now.

That late afternoon summer sun is throwing its golden light across the land and it's time to go out and try to score some footage before dusk.

:: Anne 5:34 PM [smartass remarks] ::
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