Just a few moments to think can make all the difference!

Sometimes I just want to complain. I know what some of you are saying: Sometimes? Well truth be told, I was in a position earlier this evening and I was absolutely fuming. It would have been so easy to be stay angry and then come on here and write some negative post about it, but realistically, I had to put some things in perspective.

It was only two hours after the Lady from the car dealership explained that my 30,000 miles service on my car was going to cost me $420. As ironic as some may find that number, I promise I didn't even crack a smile when I wrote down the quote, but it is what it is and my car has treated me well the first two years I've owned it, so I smiled, nodded, and moved on...

And yet then I arrived at the Portland Yacht Club to take a boat out of the water for the season. When I got down to the dock, it was about 6:10 and I learned that launch service ended at 6:00. Given that my brother was due to meet me in less than a half hour, my options were limited. The club happens to have a couple of spare row boats... So there I found myself about halfway between the shore and my boat. Sweat was dripping down my forehead as I made my way out the thoroughfare to the the boat. A little ticked off, a cool breeze grazed over my head and the humidity lessened for a moment. Just then, I looked west and glanced at the fiery orange sky; not unlike the picture in the upper right hand corner. And I thought how fortunate I am. Fortunate to be on that water. Fortunate to have a boat. Fortunate to have a loving family. Don't get me wrong, I was pissed, but the humility kept me calm.

sometimes I find that I have to stop and think for a minute. I know that life isn't always fair. I know people get screwed over. I know that sometimes I'm one of them, but in the grand scheme of things, I'm blessed. So while I was really unenthusiastic about having to bail out 2 weeks of rain from the dingy, I paused, smiled, and looked towards the western sky.