Keep Your Sunny Side Up

In spite of their sour taste, lemons are a such a cheerful  looking fruit and I instantly feel sunnier in a citrus print.  We've all had those days where it seems like everything goes wrong.  Not in a huge, your world just imploded kind of way although I've had a couple of those too.  Just the kind of day where all your plans are wrecked and you can't stop it.  What should you do when that happens?  There's really only one thing you can do when everything else is out of your control:  Breathe and find something to smile about.  Even better, find something to laugh about. 

Last week I had a big deadline coming up and I really wanted to do a good job, so I set aside what I thought would be the best day for devoting to this project.  And?  Yup, everything went wrong.  I had to go out and take some photos at a city location which is only available on this one day of the week at the crack of dawn.  So, I made myself get up early and drive the hour to said location.  I started the shoot and a mere four shutter clicks later, a mammoth storm rolled in and my photographer for the day and I rushed to take shelter under an awning.

I had set my sunhat down on the street corner before the shoot began and within minutes of the rain starting it was gone.  After 15 minutes of huddling against the rain, the downpour hadn't let up at all.  My photographer decided to chance it and hurdled over the river running down what used to be the street and dashed to the car.  Trying to get the car as close as possible to me, the car was blocked by a van that pulled up out of no where, rolled down the window and extended and arm that held my soggy sunhat.  A friendly face beamed that he had caught the hat as it barreled down the street-river about a block away and drove back to return it to me.  (the kindness and thoughtfulness of strangers never ceases to amaze me) I thanked him and then braced for the cold rain as I jumped the street-river in heels and landed very ungracefully into the passenger side of the car.  

    We decided to go to brunch at a little Victorian era tea house nearby.  I ordered a Monte Cristo (basically a grilled ham and cheese) and was presented with a deep fried funnel cake batter that encased ham and cheese and was smothered in powdered sugar and drowned in raspberry jam.  Ok, I'm all in for mixing flavors, the ham and cheese with the raspberry was pretty good, but the description said nothing about deep fried funnel cake bread and powdered sugar.  What it said was a sourdough sandwich with ham, two kinds of cheese and raspberry jam.  And that's what I wanted.  I'm just not up for deep fried funnel cake at 9:00 a.m.  My friend ordered fried chicken and jalapeno waffles and had some complaints about  the food.  Too spicy, not spicy enough, I don't remember.  At some point during our meal, the storm was officially producing flash flooding like it was going out of style and the rain hadn't let up yet.  We decided to head home.  
So, here's the thing.  I know this sounds like a list of disaster both mild and major enough to make the news, but up to and including that moment of giving up and heading home, I was having fun.  My friend was acting like it was the worst day in recorded history.  I thought we had a nice quiet drive with good conversation and how fun to get caught in a rainstorm and huddle under an awing in a beautiful old downtown on a summer morning while watching the rain.  Then someone actually drove out of his way to return my swept away hat, and when's the last time I was able to splash in the puddles (even if it wasn't on purpose).  My photo shoot was shot, but there's always another day.  And the meal wasn't the best, but it also wasn't my last, so no big deal.  I was still having fun. 

 

 My friend's mood got darker and darker as the list of mishaps grew longer.  And in spite of all those unplanned upsets, it was the bad attitude that ruined my day, not the bad things that happened.  What I saw (by choice) as things that would make good stories and even better memories, my friend saw (also by choice) as reason to  get angrier and angrier about all these things over which there was no control.  There's a certain freedom that comes with admitting we're not in control of everything.  Having that freedom means you have a choice as to how you will see the situation and what you will do with what you've been handed. 
My advice:  make the most of it, no matter what it is.  Enjoy it or find something to laugh about when these things happen and they do.  The only difference between a bad day and a good one is your attitude about it.

So, here I am, back in this quaint little town on a different day, same photographer, and more thankful than ever to be here, feeling positive, smiling and enjoying this beautiful day.

Shopping Info: Summer Cool Lemon A-Line Midi Skirt from ChicWish, Aye Aye on the Prize Blouse from ModCloth