1/14/3020
Today is my birthday. Normally I don't get excited about birthdays. I always recognize other people's birthdays, because I know it makes them feel special. And I certainly love the Happy Birthday calls and wishes on Facebook. But I honestly feel uncomfortable when people ask if I have big plans. To me, it's just another day.
I would like every day on this planet to be special. When I am balanced, and my heart is open, every moment can be glorious.
This morning was such a morning. I woke up with great expectation. Snow had been predicted. We are often teased with predictions of snow in the Pacific Northwest. Often with hilarious outcomes. Whole cities will shut down when there is a light dusting of powder on the road.
New Yorkers laugh at us. But I love snow. It makes everything pure and beautiful. And there is a heavenly silence that accompanies a new snowfall.
Plus, it sometimes give me a day off. I was feeling the need for a day off today. It is my day in Portland - therapy appointment, teaching, and choir practice. A long day. Although I enjoy my counseling session, and I love my students and the choir, I would have also loved a long birthday nap, lunch, library visit, gym workout and massage chair.
But my heart fell when I looked outside about 7:00 a.m. No snow. Gray skies. Rain. Typical.
However my spirits soared about an hour later. Big, puffy white flakes floated down onto the wet grass in our back yard. Unfortunately they did not stick.
I had hoped for a day off. Most tired was I.
But I bundled up and headed out to the bus stop. My consolation was the free coffee I had in store for me at Starbucks.
Starbucks used to give you a free drink for your entire birthday month. Now it is only on the day of your birth.
I intended to cash in on that!
And I did! Then I headed over to my therapy appointment and had a stellar meeting of the minds. I canceled my next piano student, because of possible inclement weather. The music center where I had a beginner's piano class to teach and a choir to accompany was still business as usual. But I decided to take it slow and have a late lunch.
I should have kept my piano student. After lunch, I headed to the bus stop. My bus, which usually ran every 15 minutes was not due for 30 minutes! It was cold. The wind was howling. But no snow.
So I decided to call Lyft.
He came shortly. I was so relieved. I would make it to work on time after all! And such a colorful man. He was older, with a lovely British accent. When I told him I was a piano teacher, he gushed about how he loved "Rocket Man", the movie about Elton John.
I gushed right back that I love Elton John, but alas had not seen the movie. For the rest of our ride, he told me about the movie and the two concerts he had seen Sir Elton John in.
We got to the music center in record time. But the parking lot was full. My normal procedure, for exiting a Lyft ride, is while they are parked, I make sure I have all my belongings.
But it was dark and cold. We were idling in the middle of the street. And I was high on tales of Elton John.
I hopped out and waved goodbye.
Then my stomach sank. I had left my cell phone in the car!
I almost ran wildly down the rode after the car. But instead I went straight into the office and asked to use a phone. Of course, what unraveled was frighteningly hilarious. Hilarious because I got my phone back. Frightening because these days, we are paralyzed without our "communicators", just like Star Trek. We couldn't figure out how to call Lyft. I had NO NUMBERS MEMORIZED to call. My daughter recently changed her number. Her old number was the only one I still had left in my brain.
The office staff went online to the Lyft website. Everything was achingly slow, including their computers. I finally asked if I could borrow a computer. My idea was to get on Facebook and message my daughter and daughter-in-law.
Of course, there was not computer available. And the laptop they had for staff use, was buried in a draw. With a dead battery!
Finally, with only a few minutes to spare before my class, the director said I could use the laptop in his office.
I sent out an SOS message to my daughter and daughter-in-law. My daughter-in-law saved the day! I gave her my log in info for Lyft and she got a hold of them.
I was halfway through my class when the assistant director burst into my classroom with a big grin on his face. And my cell phone in his hand! I threw both my hands up in the year and shrieked, "Hallelujah!"
The parents in the class laughed.
"You knew?" I asked one of the moms.
"We all did!" she said. They were downstairs when they heard me talking frantically with the office staff.
"You held it together very well!" said one of the moms smiling.
I exhaled. I think I had been holding my breath for half an hour.
Before choir practice I wrote down all my important contact info and took a picture of it. I put the hard copy in my file folder to keep at the music center. I sent the picture via Facebook messenger to my daughter and daughter-in-law.
We live in precarious times, don't we?
In my time of panic, I honestly could not even remember who my cell phone carrier was to report it missing if it came to that.
Lyft charged me a $15 lost and found fee. It was worth it. My lovely driver came in and hand delivered to the office. He even offered to run it upstairs to me.
My heart is racing just typing this. It was a memorable birthday with a life lesson attached.
Now, whereever I am, I do not leave until I say "Cell phone" and look at it in my hand!
Zita
Today is my birthday. Normally I don't get excited about birthdays. I always recognize other people's birthdays, because I know it makes them feel special. And I certainly love the Happy Birthday calls and wishes on Facebook. But I honestly feel uncomfortable when people ask if I have big plans. To me, it's just another day.
I would like every day on this planet to be special. When I am balanced, and my heart is open, every moment can be glorious.
This morning was such a morning. I woke up with great expectation. Snow had been predicted. We are often teased with predictions of snow in the Pacific Northwest. Often with hilarious outcomes. Whole cities will shut down when there is a light dusting of powder on the road.
New Yorkers laugh at us. But I love snow. It makes everything pure and beautiful. And there is a heavenly silence that accompanies a new snowfall.
Plus, it sometimes give me a day off. I was feeling the need for a day off today. It is my day in Portland - therapy appointment, teaching, and choir practice. A long day. Although I enjoy my counseling session, and I love my students and the choir, I would have also loved a long birthday nap, lunch, library visit, gym workout and massage chair.
But my heart fell when I looked outside about 7:00 a.m. No snow. Gray skies. Rain. Typical.
However my spirits soared about an hour later. Big, puffy white flakes floated down onto the wet grass in our back yard. Unfortunately they did not stick.
I had hoped for a day off. Most tired was I.
But I bundled up and headed out to the bus stop. My consolation was the free coffee I had in store for me at Starbucks.
Starbucks used to give you a free drink for your entire birthday month. Now it is only on the day of your birth.
I intended to cash in on that!
And I did! Then I headed over to my therapy appointment and had a stellar meeting of the minds. I canceled my next piano student, because of possible inclement weather. The music center where I had a beginner's piano class to teach and a choir to accompany was still business as usual. But I decided to take it slow and have a late lunch.
I should have kept my piano student. After lunch, I headed to the bus stop. My bus, which usually ran every 15 minutes was not due for 30 minutes! It was cold. The wind was howling. But no snow.
So I decided to call Lyft.
He came shortly. I was so relieved. I would make it to work on time after all! And such a colorful man. He was older, with a lovely British accent. When I told him I was a piano teacher, he gushed about how he loved "Rocket Man", the movie about Elton John.
I gushed right back that I love Elton John, but alas had not seen the movie. For the rest of our ride, he told me about the movie and the two concerts he had seen Sir Elton John in.
We got to the music center in record time. But the parking lot was full. My normal procedure, for exiting a Lyft ride, is while they are parked, I make sure I have all my belongings.
But it was dark and cold. We were idling in the middle of the street. And I was high on tales of Elton John.
I hopped out and waved goodbye.
Then my stomach sank. I had left my cell phone in the car!
I almost ran wildly down the rode after the car. But instead I went straight into the office and asked to use a phone. Of course, what unraveled was frighteningly hilarious. Hilarious because I got my phone back. Frightening because these days, we are paralyzed without our "communicators", just like Star Trek. We couldn't figure out how to call Lyft. I had NO NUMBERS MEMORIZED to call. My daughter recently changed her number. Her old number was the only one I still had left in my brain.
The office staff went online to the Lyft website. Everything was achingly slow, including their computers. I finally asked if I could borrow a computer. My idea was to get on Facebook and message my daughter and daughter-in-law.
Of course, there was not computer available. And the laptop they had for staff use, was buried in a draw. With a dead battery!
Finally, with only a few minutes to spare before my class, the director said I could use the laptop in his office.
I sent out an SOS message to my daughter and daughter-in-law. My daughter-in-law saved the day! I gave her my log in info for Lyft and she got a hold of them.
I was halfway through my class when the assistant director burst into my classroom with a big grin on his face. And my cell phone in his hand! I threw both my hands up in the year and shrieked, "Hallelujah!"
The parents in the class laughed.
"You knew?" I asked one of the moms.
"We all did!" she said. They were downstairs when they heard me talking frantically with the office staff.
"You held it together very well!" said one of the moms smiling.
I exhaled. I think I had been holding my breath for half an hour.
Before choir practice I wrote down all my important contact info and took a picture of it. I put the hard copy in my file folder to keep at the music center. I sent the picture via Facebook messenger to my daughter and daughter-in-law.
We live in precarious times, don't we?
In my time of panic, I honestly could not even remember who my cell phone carrier was to report it missing if it came to that.
Lyft charged me a $15 lost and found fee. It was worth it. My lovely driver came in and hand delivered to the office. He even offered to run it upstairs to me.
My heart is racing just typing this. It was a memorable birthday with a life lesson attached.
Now, whereever I am, I do not leave until I say "Cell phone" and look at it in my hand!
Zita
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