Cathy and Allan with Marshall McCabe on Rock-n-Roll
By Cathy Shattles Lipsett, publisher
Do you ever have days that are really just rotten? Days when everything is going well and then suddenly are going in the other direction? I know I’m not the only one who has days like this. I’ve had a few of these days lately. What keeps me going is that, in each gloomy day, there is always at least one ray of sunshine. True, there are some days in which the sunshine is hard to find, but it is always there. And most days hold more sunshine than gloom.
Take the past Friday the 13th. It was a really nice July day at our local Chick-fil-A, filled with fun and excitement of Cow Appreciation Day. There was even a horse that had the natural coloring of the Chick-fil-A Cow. She was so sweet and we had fun taking Bright Side pictures of the event. That is, until I messed up the fun of the day! It was going to be a simple photo op that would include me and Allan in the picture. Then, I said, “I want to stand next to the horse.” Not a good move. The next thing I knew, I had a horse standing on my sandal-clad right foot. Needless to say, the day went downhill from that point.
Some days I create my own upset as I did by standing too close to the horse. Some days it comes from factors beyond my control. A day filled with conversations with kind, likable, reasoned people can go down hill so quickly with just one conversation or email from a cranky, ill-tempered, ornery, misinformed individual. Why is that? So many nice people in a day and I dwell on this one that upsets me so terribly. I don’t think this is an abnormal reaction, but there it is. This is the reality of the ups and downs of everyday life.
As you might imagine, I’m writing this on a day with one too many depressing encounters. But I’ll get over it. In fact, I think in sharing my woes, I feel better already.
I’m going to put all of my focus on the good parts of the day; the happy events; the nice people; the friendly conversations. There are so many good things going on in my life. I will try to remember that the unpleasant people I encounter are probably having a bad time within their own lives. Unfortunately, I came along at the wrong moment for them to take their problems out on me. And some things that make a day go sour are just accidents, as was my encounter with the sweet little filly with the wandering hoof. I don’t believe the 13th is bad luck, but if I decide to stay home with a good book on the next Friday the 13th, don’t be surprised.
From the August 2012 issue of The Bright Side, Cobb County Georgia’s Newspaper covering Smyrna, Vinings, Mableton and Austell, GA.
