Always Be Looking Forward

Blog soundtrack:



(Play the song while you read! This guy is great.)

I don’t know about you, but I feel better already. Today felt different to me than many of my other previous days that were “today.” I took a right onto Positive Attitude Avenue and avoided the Melancholy Rotary, and it was all because I had a simple plan.

How did my plan go? I will tell you; however, first, I will tell you all the other things I need to tell you. Yes, I’m a story tease!

After securing employment with the local food pantry, I heard back from Iz’s teacher. She told me that she could always use extra help especially when it came to guided reading time and writing. (“Guided” reading time? I think I could figure out what this meant, but the last time I probably experienced it was when I was reading “Dick and Jane!”) I replied and told her that I’d be willing to help out with anything.

I added that I, and I don’t know how many of my friends know this, was certified in Elementary Education in addition to getting a degree in English and American Literature. I mentioned that event occurred back in the oldenest of olden days; actually, my exact quote was “a billion years ago.” Yeah, I know, why didn’t I just go all out and say “When dinosaurs roamed the Earth….”

I told her I was rusty. I then mentioned that things had probably changed a lot since then, for example, like how “reading with the teacher” became “guided reading” and how “Write a few subtraction and addition equations that will equal 9” became “Write the fact family for 9.” I didn’t give the teacher those examples.

I think I was just trying to be honest with myself about this endeavor. To tell you the truth, Iz had a polygon, hexagon, rhombus, and trapezoid worksheet last night. And, I needed to Google to remember exactly what they all were!

Iz’s teacher responded to my TMIBIUADGTTAM (Too Much Information Because I’m Unemployed and Don’t Get to Talk to Adults Much) email with “That’s fabulous!” Wow, fabulous! And, she seemed just as excited to have me as Iz was when I told her this morning that I might be helping out in class.

Yesterday, after my volunteer epiphanies, another thought came to me. I can’t take complete credit for it; I must give credit where credit is due. It was Google’s idea.

I happened to go to Google to find something, and I saw a little note under the search box that said, “Bicycling directions.” I thought how terrific that was given that I’ll probably never see my car again due to giving birth to a son 17 years ago. I would bike when needed, and now I could bike anywhere I wanted to with directions.

Of course, some of you might be asking your computer screen now, pretending you’re talking to me (so, clearly, I’m not the only one who’s quirky, eh?!), “Couldn’t you have figured out how to bike somewhere before Google maps gave bicycling directions?” I answer you with a loud “No!” I can’t bake or cook without a recipe; I need documentation whether it be from http://www.allrecipes.com/ or from Google maps!

I immediately clicked on “bicycling directions,” and I enter my home address and, without thinking for a second, George’s address in Austin, Texas. Google chugged and chugged and chugged. After a full minute, I thought, “I just brought down Google; I’m sure of it! Little girls trying to find the Jonas Brothers will never locate them; oh, that could be a very good thing!”

Anyway, I impatiently clicked and saw a “Javascript error.” I thought, “Oh, great. Now I’ve done it!” But, in another two minutes, my Google map browser populated with directions, err, 1617 of them to be exact. The biking time was listed as 7 days and 19 hours.

Seven days and 19 hours? Even Lance Armstrong couldn’t do it in that amount of time, could he? I surmised that Google hadn’t equated average cycling speeds with their bicycling maps yet. I was thinking it would take me a month at least to ride to Austin.

I thought I could pitch my cycling trip to Google or bike manufacturers. I’d use the green/unemployment angle and ask them to pay for food/hotel. In exchange, I’d blog about it. What a great idea, huh? Well, in the moment, it was the most exciting job opportunity I had, and, even better, I created it!

Just think about it. I could be what the gecko is to Geico and what the Orbit Gum girl is to, well, of course, Orbit Gum! I could be the Google Bicycling Map Chick!

I sent my directions to George. Of course, I didn’t realize that they comprised 50 pages; yes, I did apologize to George for sending such a large email. His response to my email and directions? “The route is a bit complex :-)”

This morning, I saw my biking buddy, Bill. He came by to fix Iz’s bike after she requested his help last night when she was in with her Dad buying a bottle of wine where Bill worked. After Bill fixed her bike and attained hero status in Iz's life, I blurted out to Bill, “Hey, do you want to ride to Austin, Texas with me?”

Of course, this is what I love about most of my friends. He didn’t respond with “Are you crazy?” or “You’re kidding, right?” He said, “I’m not saying yes, but….” I then explained my plan to him.

Again, he didn’t say, “No. That’s something I would never consider,” though he didn’t say, “I’d seriously consider that.” He then said, “I couldn’t bike 100 miles every day.” I told him that I was thinking we’d take a month; it wouldn’t be like the Race Across America or anything like that!

The amazing thing to me was that I potentially had a partner in my crazy crime. Well, it wasn’t crazy, though it wasn’t a trip most people would take. Most people think a "trip" constitutes a week on a beach drinking cocktails with little umbrellas in them. Okay, so do I. So, I was glad I potentially had a partner in not a vacation but in an adventure!

My plan next week is to write various companies and “pitch” the idea. Do I think anyone will sponsor me? Nah, but I can look forward to the chance that someone might.

It’s nice to have normalcy in your life. But, after this last year, I realized that you also have to give yourself something to always look forward to no matter what the outcome. And, today, my cycling plan may be a bit out of the ordinary, but like Seal says, “I’m never gonna survive unless I get a little crazy.” ♥

What did you say, Anne?
I said I want to know if you succeeded in executing the simple plan.
I did, Anne. Well, plans are plans, and they can change just like life so often does.
So, what did you do?
I’m so glad you asked; and you so know I’m dying to tell you, Girl! ♥

I turned on the TV but just so Iz and I could watch 20 minutes of “Sister, Sister” before she left for school
I didn’t go to the gym; I walked 5 miles outside.
I took Monty for a walk.
I read a chapter in Screenwriting for Dummies.
I cleaned off my desk.
I returned Iz’s clothes.
And, I got Iz off the bus.
Hermes perfume, here I come! ♥

Happy Weekend!