excited

You know, we need to get more EXCITED about being alive. So many problems could be solved with a little enthusiasm, a little respect, a tiny bit of nice here and there.

Every day I eat lunch alone. I race to the only microwave at school, nuke my food, grab a paper and claim a spot in a comfy chair far away from the cafeteria. Today, a classmate asked if I wanted to sit with her. I’ve been going to college for 5 years and I have never been asked to join someone for lunch. Nor have I ever thought to ask someone if they wanted to sit with me. I was floored. So, of course I said yes. I even shared my brownies Robert made for me (a very big leap). I sat with three girls. Two were twins, perky and perkier. I was a little put off by how excited they were. I was expecting a table full of too much mascara and gossip. I figured the most exciting thing we would talk about was Halloween jello shots. Instead I was greeted by education majors who didn’t drink. One even mentioned she was interested in special education. Needless to say it was an awesome lunch. I can’t wait to get back to my poofy chair that conveniently sits underneath a broken vent (nearby chatter goes zzzzzzt), but it is nice to know that there are people out there that are EXCITED to be alive. I applaud excited people, but only if I don’t have to see them everyday. Sometimes my own excitement is too much for me.

I started a new babysitting gig tonight. The mother just needs a few hours a week to breathe. She has two kiddos, 8 months and 2 ½ years, and they are a handful. I am so used to the 4-10 age range. I have a whole bag of tricks and games for older kids, but absolutely nothing for teensy ones. I showed up empty handed, but quickly realized that noise was going to be my new best friend. As long as I stayed on their level and made plenty of noise I was fine. Will this work every time? I hope so.

And just for fun: