Yesterday was a good day.
I started the day with some Christmas shopping and novel brainstorming with my good friend/nonbiological sister/mother/legal guardian Jennifer. We hit up the mall and even ran into Hannah Rush! The little bros had a snow day, so when I got home we got to hang out and play games and make snow Daleks. I also got to Skype Sierra and have some fun catching up! Granted, our Internet seemed to have other ideas, but with some clever teamwork we got it figured out. I'd like to take this time to give a shoutout to Sierra Hernandez, who is currently crocheting a spectacular scarf, instead of just a small triangle or (in my case) a straight line.
I'd also like to take this time to give a shoutout to all the Five Below friends I got to see in the last few days! I got to see my favorite friend/manager Kelsey, who despite being only a year older than me seems convinced that I'm five years old. I also got to see Nick and Kayla, who I've been working with for over a year. All of us were hired at the opening of the store, and whenever I work, they're the people I hope to see scheduled alongside me. I also got to meet some new coworkers who were hired in my absence this fall! They all seem pretty cool, and I'm glad to have made their acquaintance, even if it's unlikely I'll ever be around to work with most of them again.
Can I just say that I love my job? Example: last night I was getting really frustrated by the amount of iPhone cases that had been torn open and thrown around the media section, which I was required to clean. Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye I spotted a little girl, probably not more than four or five. She caught my eye and ducked shyly behind a shelf. I smiled at her and went back to work. She peeked around the corner again, and when I turned to look she giggled and disappeared. I quickly ducked behind a shelf, and we proceeded to play an impromptu game of peekaboo for the next five minutes. In those short minutes I was the happiest I'd been all night.
Just a few hours later I was driving home. I had gotten out of work late, and the roads were still slick from the ice storm the night before. Now, those of you who know the Grandville/Wyoming area know that on 52nd approaching Burlingame there is a fairly large pond on either side of the street. Normally I don't go all the way to Burlingame on the way home, but instead turn onto Pinnacle. Tonight the roads decided that wasn't an option. I braked early as the weather warranted, but it didn't make a difference. I instantly went into a slide that took me far past the Pinnacle intersection. I managed to keep the car in the lane and come to a stop about 100 yards from Burlingame. I sat there for a moment, letting my heart slow and the adrenaline fade. That was when I noticed I wasn't alone. Just a few feet ahead of me there was a car. It was off the road, teetering on the edge of the pond. The scariest part?
It was facing the wrong way. The car had apparently taken the turn too quickly and slid across my lane into the pond. There was no one in the car, but no cops had arrived to assess the scene. My guess would be that it had occurred about ten minutes before I arrived. Had I not been held up at work, I would have been at or near the intersection at right about the time the car lost control.
Granted, any slight variation in the timeline would have made me completely miss the event, so I'm not saying this was some diversionary act of God. I mean, I could have tied my shoe in the parking lot and completely missed the accident. Heck, I still probably would have missed it entirely if I had gotten out on time. But that's not the point. The point is that I got lucky. I could have just as easily been the one in the pond. But I'm not. And I thank God for that.
What exactly is the point of this story? I haven't the slightest idea. But I figured I haven't posted a blog in a few days, and I need content. So there it is.
Now I'm sitting in my basement, the sounds of coffee grinders, rocket launchers, and Christmas carols assaulting my ears. Gosh, I've missed this. Looks like a day of rest in the Piersma household. I've hit my breaking point, and it's time to recharge. Maybe that's what God's telling me. Maybe what I needed to stop stressing was potential for a good old-fashioned near-death experience.
My song for today: More Bad Weather On The Way by Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers. Yes, the actor, Steve Martin (who is surprisingly good at the banjo). What with all the snow and ice, I could use a little bluegrass to relax to.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oxmk3ZSYrBg
That's all for today, folks!
The Road goes ever on and onDown from the door where it began.Now far ahead the Road has gone,And I must follow, if I can,Pursuing it with eager feet,Until it joins some larger wayWhere many paths and errands meet.And whither then? I cannot say.
