The headline comes from a line in Raising Arizona. Randy and I quote from a lot of movies, but there are a few that are in constant rotation. Raising Arizona is one. I would say two and three would be Pulp Fiction and Young Frankenstein.
It’s true, though. Sometimes, it is a hard world for the little things.
Sometimes, everything is hard. Little or big.
Less than a week, you guys. In less than a week, we’ll find out just how dark everything will be. We’re in for some darkness no matter what, we 
have to accept that. But I’m hoping it’s not abysmal.
I’ve been looking for as many pretty things as I can find.
If there’s a video of an animal doing something adorable, I’m stopping and watching that shit. Or people. Videos of people doing good are like a life line.
I need to believe there is more good than evil in my country.
I have to believe that most of us are appalled that the fucking president of the United States declared himself a nationalist.
Meanwhile, last weekend didn’t pan out quite as I had hoped.
My anxiety and depression are usually worse this time of year and this year is no different. I needed my weekend. I needed a break.
But the universe doesn’t give two shits about what I need, so I did not get the break I needed.
The main server at work went down which means all the retail stores over 4 states couldn’t ring up sales.
So that’s fun.
It was a hardware failure, which isn’t anything I can fix, but that didn’t make it any less stressful. We were back up by Sunday morning, but not without some issues. I spent the entire weekend on the phone, pacing, pacing while on the phone and working.
I hate getting cheated out of weekends.
Anyway, Monday was like a Monday with Monday sauce.
Traffic was shitty driving home. I had to stop for some prescriptions. I hate having to stop any where after spending time in rush hour traffic, so I was already pissy. Then, when I got inside, there were around 12 billion people in line.
I played on my phone and tried to pretend their weren’t actual wasps in my brain.
Someone pulled out in front of me in the parking lot and then someone else pulled out in front of me on the street.
I was frustrated to the point of tears.
Then, I noticed some dude walking down the road, picking up trash as he went. And I thought “Oh that’s cool.”
I mean, it’s not like it set everything right, but it was nice.
So, my last stop was a convenience store and as I was walking out, the dude picking up trash was in front of the store putting the trash in the trash can.
I started to walk past him, but I didn’t and instead I met Dave.
Me: Hey, I saw you picking up trash. Good on you.
Dave: Did it make your day?
Me: Well, it made it better.
He put his hand out.
Dave: I’m Dave. Nice to meet you.
Me: I’m Michelle, it’s nice to meet you, too.
Dave: My goal is to never let anyone around me fail.
Me: That is a good goal.
Dave: Pay it forward.
I got in my car and drove home.
Dave was a little intense, but he did kind of make my day.
Just another week. I hope for all of us that the world is a little lighter next Wednesday.
Sometimes it is a hard world for the little things, but somethings the little things make a difference.
Pay attention to each other. Be kind to each other. Start making connections because we’re going to need it.
No matter what happens, I think things will be weird and dark for a while.
Look for pretty things.
Be kind to each other.
Hang on.
Vote.
Photo courtesy of Pixabay.
“Look for pretty things and be kind to each other …”
So simple yet this should be a freaking billboard!
Hugs,
M.
YES! If I had won that huge lottery, I would have put those billboards up all over the country.
Wheen you, even you, are all mushy – you know it is a dark time. Love “Monday with Monday sauce.”
Yeah…I do have my breaking point. Haha. Peace and love and light to you.
If things are going down in a week all of my hopes and dreams will simply die and I just might fucking join them. They’re keeping me alive as it is.
Therapy, schmerapy. I’ve gone to see my shrink more times than I can count. BFD. She has no answers. My MD was cool. I started to water-up in her office and she made me promise her, PROMISE HER, that before I did anything irreversible she’d ” hunt me down, ” her words. I have her private number in my wallet like an insurance card. I love her for it.
The world has to keep it’s shit together longer than a week. Fucking has to.
Sorry to see no response to this. I feel you. You’re not alone. Hang in there. Four little words hold the key to balance: This, too, shall pass…
OMG Tina, that is one of my favorites. My mother says that to me in times of duress and it never fails to comfort me.
Yes, yes it does.
It sure as Hell does, Michelle.
Yeah, ya gotta appreciate the good in the world when you see it. Some people try to make things better.
If after all that we’ve seen over the past couple of years, we don’t decide to put the brakes on what is happening in our country, then it’s going to be hard to blame the people in charge. They’re getting positive reinforcement if we keep voting for them.
I really hope that the best in us shines through.
I hope the same, my friend. I hope we all give our best
I do love Dave’s idea-to try to not let anyone around him fail. Ambitious maybe, but a goal. For some reason, reminds me of Ram Dass’ “We’re all just walking each other home” quote. Hoping for better! Hang in there!
That is a beautiful quote!!
I have pretty much been avoiding Twitter and news. Not completely, but when I start getting that knot in my gut, which lately has been almost immediately, I shut it down.
On a positive note I started sewing again.
I am trying not to feel hopeless about the idiocy in our country but maybe I have to reach a new level of acceptance. I know the world can be wretched but I still had a somewhat rosy view of certain things.
Here’s hoping decency will rule the day.
Here’s to hoping. XO
Hugging my stress pillow just a little harder than usual. We mailed in our ballots so don’t have to listen to the 20+ phone calls a day we get for MONEY! What’s that about anyway? Do they really think at this late date that everybody hasn’t already chosen candidates?
I have no idea. We mailed ours in as well. Now, we wait.
Yeah, I’m super on edge. Like so on edge that I live on the verge of tears and/or breaking.
Animal and kind people videos have been my lifeline.
And that’s “normal life” stuff. The extra anxiety about the country…I am trying to remain hopeful that there are not just majority good people, but majority good people who will actually vote to help make things better. Because not voting now is just unthinkable as far as I’m concerned. Too much is at stake.
So I hope…while looking at cute animal videos and stories of people being nice to each other.
It IS unthinkable to not vote in this election. But so many won’t. So many just stick their heads in the sand. It’s frustrating as hell.
Wow. Sounds like you needed Dave in that moment. Maybe its true that angels walk among us.
I really did need to see him at that moment. I was in such a bad mood and it just lifted after that.
I swear that you are my long lost sister!! When reading that, it is EXACTLY what I have been going through!! Honestly, the only thing getting me through this whole fucking hot mess of hatred going on, is doing kind things for people, or randomly just giving a stranger a compliment to make them smile. Seeing that smile come across a strangers face when I compliment them just makes my heart feel a little happy for just a moment. All we can do is just try to encourage others to do the same, and maybe, just maybe, it will grow and the hatred will die!! I’d love to have you in my life as a “real” friend!
~Laura
Well, we’re both real…so we can be friends
It’s hard to get myself to believe that I’ve done all I can do to affect the outcome of this election. And maybe it’s not that much, but there are four people who weren’t planning on voting who have promised me they will cast ballots this time, and I have provided them with all the info they need to early vote, so they can’t say they were just too busy on Tuesday.
Maybe if I lived in Florida or Ohio I would feel better about the impact that might have, but the truth is that this is not about how I feel, it is about wrenching control of the government away from the Republicans before they break it beyond our capacity to repair it.
Sometimes it really is the little things. We know a woman who hangs out in her wheelchair in front of the Ross store. Someone tore up the wires on her mobility scooter, so she’s back to her wheelchair. She used to hang out in the parking lot of the Foodmaxx where we buy our groceries, but lately she says she does better across the street at the mall where the people are nicer and there’s a covered sidewalk in case it rains. I always try to have five bucks for her, but she says she’s glad to see us even if we don’t have anything to give her.
Last time we saw her, she told us it was her birthday, so this time when we went shopping, Briana brought her a nice, fuzzy sweater as a gift, but she wasn’t there. I called her phone, and it was disconnected. We still have the sweater in the car to give her when we do see her again, but her absence is troubling. I feel like we will see her again, because she’s made of stern enough stuff to face what she faces every day, and most likely will be around for a while still.
So while we were taking that in, I ran into this cheerful fellow who was walking with a cane and a back brace, and I smiled at him.
He lit up and greeted us as best he could, as he has a speech impediment and cognitive disabilities. His name is Louie, and we gave him a ride up the hill to his bus stop, and felt a little better about the world and ourselves.
I hope you are feeling better soon, and I hope this election becomes the turning point back towards sanity it appears to be shaping up as. Meanwhile, I’ve got to back off from obsessively watching the polling data. I’ll know what’s what soon enough, and meanwhile, Steve Kornacki can suck it…
You are doing good, my friend. Thank you for putting good out into the universe, we need all we can get.
I love Dave. He (and you) made my day better.
Thank you.
Look for pretty things and be kind to each other.
And VOTE.
XOXXOXOXOX thank you, sugar pop!
Regardless of what occurs I know things will be ok…I know they will. I have gone through some of the worst things life has to offer (thanks) and I am not only still here, but I flourish. I look in the face of ghastly things and say, “Bring it” We will all be fine…I know we will because what else will we be?
I hear you. I am not afraid for me. I am afraid of the world I am leaving for my children and grandchildren. They may have to deal with things we never dreamed of. And like you, I’ve gone through some extremely difficult and scary times. But you are right, we might as well be OK because that is better. xo
Sometimes the universe sends us a Dave exactly when we need one.
Yes, yes it does
As much as I hate to think about politics there’s an ad being run by one of our candidates for mayor–the one I voted for, in fact–in which he talks about how every mass shooting makes him think about his family and the families of the victims, of those who are hurt, and what we might be able to do to help.
He thinks about helping others, you think about helping others, Dave thinks about helping others, and everyone here thinks of helping others. Troll, I wish I could offer more than words of comfort.
I don’t know if things will get worse or get better, but I believe most of us are focused on helping each other, and even if it’s not next week I believe things will get better eventually, even if in the meantime we have to eat sand.
You ate sand?
The movie line I quote the most in my head is from Pulp Fiction – “Nah man, I’m pretty fucking far from OK.” That’s on a weekly rotation in my brain (maybe daily, not always hourly I swear). Hope this weekend was better. XOXO
This weekend has been way better. I am actually home alone right now which never happens and I am kinda digging it. (you dig it the most)
There’s always a Pulp Fiction quote. Always
“I need me that baby, Hi!”
“I’ll have what she’s having”
“Inconceivable!” “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means”
“Anybody want a peanut?”
So many quotable quotes. Not necessarily valid for how to think or feel or behave, but so many good quotes.
Yep..toss in Pulp Fiction and those are our most quoted movies. Oh..and Young Frankenstein