Shit Happens
My daughter had her first day of second grade today at her school, which on a good day without traffic is a 25 minute drive from my apartment. This means that I woke up at 5:30am to get her up at 6:15 so we could be out the door by 7:15 without having it all be a frenetic whirlwind, allowing for cushion in case there was traffic. The goal was to get there by 7:50am (she’s supposed to be in class by 8am).
The universe had other plans for us. I95 was backed up to a standstill from Ives Dairy up to Hollywood and I ended up getting her there a little after 8:30am. For bonus points, more than halfway through the drive I realized that I’d lost track of her lunchbox and refillable water bottle and they’d been left behind sitting on the kitchen counter. Thankfully her mom came from the north and so was waiting and able to pick up lunch from a nearby restaurant to meet us with.
If all this had happened even just a few years ago, I would have been in a fit of rage, yelling and attempting to yank the steering wheel out of the console. The fact that I was able to keep my composure, and even see the hint of a life lesson being thrown my way by the universe, served as yet another indication to myself that I really have come a long way since I started down the path of self-actualization. Be gracious with yourself, make an effort to be conscious of how you’re moving through this life, and try to serve as an example through your actions to those who may be influenced by you.
I also listened to this episode of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck Podcast later in the day and it struck a chord, maybe you’ll find it worth a listen.