I Took a Walk

After all my hype about finding a job on Monday, I actually did more nothing. I went to the video store and got "Children of Men" and promptly asked myself after it was over, "Why the hell did you rent that piece of crap?"

With no answer readily available, I sat around and just surfed the Internet. I spent a few hours on Cracked.com looking through their various articles and laughing here and there, wishing I could be that witty.

Around 7:45, as the light was just starting to dim and the noise from the baseball fields across the street were just getting WAY too annoying, I decided to take a walk. (I partially regret taking the walk because I wore my sandals and pretty much destroyed my feet.)

However, this was the inaugural walk with my new Mp3 player. It was nice to know I would no longer be limited a CD's music capacity and could carry my entire music library. So I was excited to be getting out of the house in a way that didn't involve going to get fast food to try and quench my depression.

As I approached the corner of Rex and New York on my way toward Riverside, a new song came on the player. At first, I kinda laughed and briefly thought about changing it. During the first minute or so, I decided to let it play.

The song, Bobby McFarrin's "Don't Worry Be Happy", made me think about the past couple of days. I know it sounds cliche', but that song helped me realize that, no matter what kind of crap gets thrown in my face, it's no reason to be sad. Things are gonna get better.

What was kinda freaky was the ironic, if not metaphorical, thing that happened next. As I finish crossing the street at New York and Neely, this tan, well-built, dude who was running in a pair of blue running shorts, tries to pass me on the left. He stumbles at the curb and takes a tumble onto the sidewalk. I stop to see if he's was alright and once I was sure he was cool, I continued on my walk.

That guy is probably pretty well-off. Not only was he in good shape, but I can surmise that he has a hot girlfriend, a nice car, a good job (or his parents are paying for his house while he attends summer school), and has few worries. With all that, he still fell down in a very embarrassing way. (The look on his face SCREAMED embarrassment.)

Thankfully, the symbolism wasn't lost on me. He took a small tumble while I have taken a bit of a bigger one over the past few days. (Proverbially speaking, of course)

So I know now that I can't let something like getting fired from a shitty job get me down. I can't let the fact that I'm single keep me from living my life. I can't let all that has happened keep me from being happy that I have great friends, a great family, and just being happy that I'm alive.

Gosh, I'm glad I took a walk today.

~Nate-O