[ From the Archives of 365 ]
How Was Your Day?
Quite a day today. I won’t go into details, but one note to share. I’ve been telling everyone about 365. A few ask me, “Why are you doing this?”
There are two general answers:
First, “Loving meeting people and am learning a tremendous amount about others and myself,” and secondly, “Because I’m just a little bit crazy.” Either way. The more people I tell about 365, the more committed I am to seeing it to the end. And I’ve already handed out a hundred cards or so.
That said, Let’s move on and meet today’s new friend.
There is a place not far from my house, an old-school diner with an old-school menu—nostalgic to the core, and home to the grace of Nicke. It was one of those off-camber evenings. You know, the kind ending in a grumbling stomach and a bad attitude. So in falling to the grip of hangry, I called my dearest. Reached into my Y-chromosome tool kit to call in the driest of voice, “What’s for dinner?…”
OK, I get it, a total loss of self-control, and as you might assume a completely insane opener. In retrospect, it would have been better to have asked; “How was your day?” Yep, it’s true, I’m from Mars. Now please don’t jump to the wrong conclusion. I have a wonderful companion: very talented, loving, patient, and kind. But on that particular evening, via my negative karma, and blended with the mix of stresses she was facing, I stepped to the plate with a truly dangerous question. Oh yeah! A clay pigeon I was, and directly in front of me, both barrels of the shotgun. Like a seasoned shooter, she pulled the trigger. Turned out, I was on my own for dinner.
After a wound licking phone-invite to my daughter, we found ourselves sitting at Nicke’s table, combing the menu for comfort food, and on a quest to find the right little something to take home as a peace offering. Buried in myself I was as she walked up. Kindness and a smile were written all over her face. Like a well-known friend,, she carried herself, and as I felt of her spirit, I was exampled a lesson in better ways to counter the blinding pull of dreaded hangry. Calmed as I observed her endless smiles, her listening words, and the way she warmly spoke to customers by first name. And as I watched her, I was again schooled in just how far an outstretched heart could reach.
We finished our meal, picked up the takeout, and as I pulled into our driveway, I readied myself to ask a most important question to a most important person, “How was your day?”
