Goodly Creatures

"O wonder!

How many goodly creatures are there here!

How beauteous mankind is!

O brave new world that

has such people in it!" - William Shakespeare, The Tempest, 5.1

I came across this quote on a Street Scape poster and thought I would post it. It strikes at the heart of my comment from last week.

Last week I was the recipient of a good deed from a fellow bus rider. I said thanks to the stranger and to the Moms and the children of the world for being so wonderful. I really meant those sentiments and so this quote from William Shakespeare’s Tempest chronicle that reality. There are many goodly creatures out there but we don't always encounter them or behave that way ourselves. I am very happy to have experienced the wonder here there!

I know that each day has its own challenges and situations but some how, some where and sometimes we encounter the beauty and kindness of people. I hope all of the people we encounter this week are goodly creatures!

Saturday

Image: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/

Good Deed.
In my crazy, frantic, organized, demanding get it done world of 9 –5, Monday to Friday, I was doing the obligatory Saturday runs to get all the other things in my life done. All of the things that are deferred from Monday to Friday because of the ‘work’ schedule and pre arranged home demands like making dinner for the family. This Saturday morning I had to do some shopping, earlier than usual, and a bit rushed because I had to get to the post office. In the interest of time I decided to take a bus to my next stop, about 3 blocks away. The next stop was the post office. Today I have to mail a package on my daughter’s behalf to a friend of hers. This I must do. After all it’s an assigned task. Time was of the essence as the Post Office closes early on Saturdays.

As I approached the bus stop a bus arrives. Yippee! I was grateful for that stroke of luck. I got on the bus somewhat harried – bags in hand, scarf flying, fumbling for change to pay my fare, hat and winter gloves under arm, etc. I paid the fare and began to file down the aisle; luckily the bus was not as crowded as it could be so I was able to move in. The seats were all taken. I shuffled into the middle of the bus and parked myself next to a single seat occupied by a young man. I did not stop here for any particular reason. This spot was sufficiently far from the front of the bus so I would obstruct the flow of other passengers. As I attempted to compose myself I glanced at the person sitting in the seat. I like to acknowledge folks as well as make sure I am not too close.

The young man motioned to me asking if I would like his seat. I responded thankfully, certainly! Thank you I said as I slid in front of the chair. What a pleasure. As my rear end hit the seat, almost simultaneously as I was thankful, I thought, wait a minute! Did I seem that old and frumpy that he offered me his seat so quickly? Did he feel sorry for me because I seemed so pathetic? I sort a felt clumsy as I got on the bus anyway. Or is he just a nice, courteous, polite young man who lived what he learned. Was he taught to offer the ladies his seat out of respect? Or old ladies even? Hmmmmm! With all of the challenges in our lives these days it’s good to look beyond your situation and give a hand.

The thing I know is this. This was refreshing. I was grateful for the seat as I have been shopping, walking around with the packages for a couple of hours and could use the relief. I could use the brief respite between the ride and getting to my next series of tasks. So no matter what the reason or motivation, Thanks for remembering your manners. Thanks for being kind and thanks no matter what you thought or believed was my case, you did a good deed. This act of kindness reminded me that this world is made up of beautiful, wonderful caring people and this time I am a beneficiary. I will remember to return the favor.


Thanks for being Special! You made my day!


By the way, I am not old or frumpy, well maybe I was a bit frumpy and harried but that’s the way it is on Saturdays.

Gratitude

Life
I feel compelled to open this entry with a quote, a quote that sets the stage or captures the essence of the story or the issues being addressed. I settled on this one by Tom Blandi.

Our attitudes control our lives. Attitudes are a secret power
working twenty-four hours a day, for good or bad.
It is of paramount importance that we know how to harness
and control this great force. Tom Blandi

The last two weeks have been fraught with a series of life situations that took me out of my frame. Granted the frame was a bit shaky over the last couple of weeks as the throws of life threw me some curves. I lost two dear friends in the matter of two weeks. I found myself behind on the bills and expected a shortfall in revenues. I had a fast approaching special event date that I have to prepare for. My computer is broken so no ability to update the blog as intended, and the list goes on. These feel like hairpin curves to racing car driver. It was almost too much to cope. But I had to remember and kept in mind that adversity builds character and helps one to find the means to succeed. This is all in the attitude, belief and elbow grease.

Now dealing with the sudden death of friends is hard and can be exhausting but we must endure, so we do. Catching up on bills and having the need or the desire to plan an event – incur cost on an empty purse - is quite another thing which has no easy answers. The expectation or even promise is that I will deliver. This piece of the life’s puzzle that I had to place in the scheme of things was more trying and difficult than accepting and coping with the deaths. And that is not easy by any stretch of the imagination.

Everyone knows and is feeling the effects of the recession. Some of us have been living in the ‘recession’ for years – more bills than resources - and find it difficult to cope. So imagine now the compounding effects of the recession on a person who is usually a dollar short but have to respond to life’s challenges and demands. Nowhere to turn for relief and life goes on! So what do you do? How do you do it? How do you not disappoint because you do not have in hand what you need to make it happen? Attitude! Belief that all things are possible and elbow grease is the formula for success. Fall back on the good old ingenuity, creativity, rolled up sleeves and friends. Take the little you have and make do. The good ole shoe string principle. Shoe string you ask? Yes. Beg, borrow, barter and bring in the sweat equity. That’ll do it!

So I paid what I had to, tinker with the computer to get it putz-ing along until such time and stretch the difference to set up the event. Cancel the party planner, cancel the caterer, re-arrange the space cost, surf the net to find the cheapest prices and call in the troops. Make an event of planning the event with those in your circle. It was great! Hustling around to get it together, a million phone calls and emails to the crew and from the crew to put things together. We finally come together to set up the place, prepare, serve and celebrate. What an event it was with all the trappings made with all the love on a shoe string. What a great feeling of the village ……!

James Russell Miller wrote, if you will call your troubles experiences,
and remember that every experience develops some latent force within you,

you will grow vigorous and happy, however adverse your circumstances

may seem to be.

My lesson here is this; Life throws us all types of curves and how we respond makes all the difference. I know that if you find the magic in the desire to achieve or please, find the magic wand and bring in the goodness of the people around you, anything is possible. It might not be perfect, it will be tiring but stay in the game with resolve and it will get done. Whoa, when it all comes together, it’s marvelous! Be grateful, move forward on to the next event as if you had it under control all along. Attitude – Positive attitude. This experience reinforces the knowledge that our friends and our willingness to succeed is a force that makes us grow and makes us happy.

Friends, they are beautiful! And God has blessed me with some wonderful ones!

Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for everything! Ma, you ARE the Best!