THANKFUL FRIDAY
Cindy Maddera
"I rode the scooter any way."
Yesterday morning, as I was gathering things together for work, Michael asked me if I'd opened the garage door. I replied "Yes, to get my scooter out." "You're taking your scooter?!?! We must have very different weather apps on our phones." I looked at him and said "Oh, it's going to rain today. I just think I can get there before it starts." Every day this week we've had a chance of rain. The sky will look like it's going to dump buckets of rain only to clear up by the end of the day. Every day this week around 4:30 pm, I have looked out the window and have cursed myself for not riding the scooter. Sean, at work, has done the same thing about his bicycle. So yesterday morning, when he came into the office after seeing my scooter in the parking garage, Sean looked at me and said "Did you just decide to say 'fuck it'." I replied "pretty much."
There's always some tune that pops into my head while I'm riding the scooter, always something jaunty. "All the Single Ladies" for some reason is a constant one that I hum while zipping down the streets. Occasionally a show tune gets in there and I find myself this close to belting out a song in my best Ethel Merman or Doris Day impression. Yesterday I couldn't help it. Put on a Happy Face rolled right on into my brain because I just knew that the gray skies were indeed going to clear up. I couldn't help but put on a happy face as I made my way to work, where I arrived without a single drop of rain hitting me. I am thankful that I did not get rained on, but more than anything I am thankful that I took the risk.
It may appear that I am a daily and casual risk taker. There is now a running joke between me and Michael any time I even think about sticking my arm out of the car to get a picture. He says "Get in the car Cindy" as soon as he hears the window rolling down. This is because I have been known to stick more than just an arm out a window of a moving vehicle while trying to get "the shot". I ride a scooter which, I suppose, is a slightly risky mode of transportation. I regularly expose myself mentally (a few times physically) on the internet, running the risk of judgement and ridicule. Except I don't see any of these things as risky. I always loop my foot around the seat belt before climbing out the car window. I always wear my helmet when riding the scooter and if I was a talker, I'd probably just tell you those stories I write here anyway. To me the risk comes in not taking the picture, missing the scooter ride or a story forever forgotten from not writing it down. I am thankful for the risk because more often than not, the action of taking the risk has brought me the most joy.
We've got a busy weekend planned full of dance classes, yard work, finishing the chicken coop and taking apart the lawn mower for some routine maintenance. With any luck, we'll have seeds planted in the ground by Sunday and a coop ready for chickens who are just about to out grow their box, which is bigger than the box they were in a week ago. The weather is supposed to cooperate and this I am thankful for. I am also thankful for all of you who have made a donation to my AIDS Walk Fundraising page. I will be contacting each of you in May about a thank you gift. There's still time to make a donation! I am thankful for leftover pistachio salad and chocolate chip cookies. I am thankful for tail wags. I am thankful for you.
Here's to a beautiful weekend and a super Thankful Friday!