Attitude and Ice Cream

You’ve had them. Those days when it seems nothing goes right. Maybe it starts with the tossing and turning of a mainly sleepless night. It continues with the necessary cleanup created by a tipped-over first cup of coffee before the sun is up. And perhaps, the trend extends well into the day.

A quick trip to the grocery store for just a few essentials added stress as you noticed the prices. Since you’re already a little late, a decision is made to say yes to the self-checkout machine when it asks if you’d like some cash with that. Sure, twenty bucks should help with the day's minor expenses while saving a little time is an added benefit.

The car engine starts without a hitch, there’s no traffic to speak of, and you’re set to make it to that appointment on time after all. Things are looking up.

When you arrive home, the small bag of groceries is unloaded. You notice it then. 

The anger is triggered. 

The loss is real. 

You have just paid twice as much for those expensive essentials as you should have. Why is that? 

Because when rushing to leave the store, you STUPIDLY LEFT THE TWENTY DOLLAR BILL IN THE CHECKOUT MACHINE! 

You might as well have burned it. Some 'crook' has already pocketed your money. It was probably that clerk. You know she's only there to pounce when someone 'forgets' to scan an item. Yup. She just swooped in as soon as you left. She took it!  She probably lives for opportunities like this. She would certainly deny it if confronted. Everybody is a crook today. They’re all scammers. 

ICE CREAM.  You can't help it. You eat a lot more than you should just to calm yourself down. The day is RUINED, but cold sweetness should help. 

If you couldn't tell, this is a true story. I was so irritated that I consumed, well, on second thought, I’ll leave the amount of ice cream eaten a secret. An embarrassing secret. It did help, but not enough. The anger at my carelessness subsided somewhat but continued well into the evening.

This morning, I woke up and immediately relived the experience. But something, probably because I had rested and my amygdala was hibernating, began to take shape in my mind. 

What if?

I remember times when I prayed for help. I remember times when, in one form or another, help was received. Again, the question, “What if?”

I decided to accept an imagined fact. I have no way to verify this new attitude adjustment. I have no way to guarantee that what I was thinking actually occurred. But the anger was gone, and joy filled its place. I’m going with the visualized scenario.

What if the person behind me was having a tough time with a need: Infant formula, medication, or even milk and cereal for the kids’ breakfast? 

What if the person behind me was struggling with trade-offs: If I buy this item, I can't buy that one. I can only afford one, but they're both critical! How can I choose?

What if that Andrew Jackson dangling from the dispenser was the answer to someone’s prayer? 

I imagine them seeing this ‘gift’ suspended there, waiting for someone to snatch it. I imagine them looking around to see if someone was making a mad dash for this exact checkout machine. Seeing nobody, they hesitantly picked it from the device. They might put it aside because surely someone was going to miss it. But nobody came. 

As they finished paying for both critical needs, I imagine them giving thanks with an overwhelming sense of relief. Their prayer had been answered in a very concrete way. 

As I trashed the carton of ice cream, they rejoiced in their good fortune. 

Now, as I realized this could have been yesterday’s reality, I rejoice with them.

No ice cream today.