I Smiled and Said, "I'll Have Some of That"

Once you reach adulthood [Note: Adulthood is different than Manhood, as I have been reminded oh so many times by practicing married men.], you quickly reach a point where you identify the good things in life. They’re not always big things. In fact, for the most part, they’re quite the opposite. For instance, the inspiration for writing this? Today I went to the bathroom at work, and the water was blue.

Not much is better in the work/school/gas station environment than seeing blue water when you enter a bathroom stall frequented by several people each day. Could it be a false sense of cleanliness? Absolutely. But at least there’s a chance that stall won’t give you hepatitis. Not all deuces can be taken in 7th grade hall at David Lipscomb Campus School. [Note: For the uninformed, this was the location of choice for the duration of my high school career. This hall was no longer used after my class finished 7th grade, and, as such, solidarity was easier to find here than anywhere else in Harding Hall. If you walked in and saw feet, you were beat, and it was time to let the victor have his soil. In retrospect, the fact that so many males saw this as their personal bowel haven, probably means it was the most disgusting location available.] So, if you must go in a public-ish bathroom, the blue water makes cleaning up with Georgia Pacific sandpaper all the more bearable.

More little good things? Let’s see… I’m on an audit this week, so I meet 3 co-workers in the hotel lobby to head to work. We all climb in the Impala, and start the car up. Three of us in the car each have 2-3 years experience in our department. The fourth, we’ll call well-experienced. Today’s little good thing: cranking up the car and hearing Tone Loc’s “Wild Thing”. Per a little Wikipedia research, “Wild Thing” was the first single released from the 1989 album Loc-ed After Dark. The second was like unto it, “Funky Cold Medina.” If you have heard one but not the other, rest assured, you have heard them both. For those who completely missed the boat, these songs are as different as Pat Green’s “Wave on Wave” and “Feels Just Like It Should”. Regardless, listening to Tone Loc before 8 a.m. with a Department Director is a good thing.

Free food in the break room at work – another good thing. Unless… Last week in the office, I overhear some discussion about pizza. I have my ipod on, so I don’t hear all of it. Then I get an IM from a coworker who sits near me, asking if I’ve heard anything about pizza because someone from the 1st floor is asking about rumored 2nd floor pizza. Well, yes, I have. I suddenly remember more of the conversation overheard than I think I ever heard in the first place. I share my knowledge, and we set off to explore. We go to the far break room and spot 6 pizza boxes. I duck my head in the nearest cube and ask, “what’s the deal with the pizza?” “Is that that smell?” – actual response. “Yeah, it’s on the table in here. Anything on the table in our kitchen is fair game – same here?” “Yeah…” Now there are three of us in the kitchen. One guy starts opening boxes... he identifies the first pizza as artichoke, and it’s a good thing he did because I couldn’t identify artichoke if my life depended on it. Second pizza: artichoke. Third: some unidentifiable vegetable. Fourth: artichoke. Fifth: Pineapple. Not chunks, mind you, but full slices. Sixth and final pizza appeared to be cheese. However, there were only 2 pieces left and the first 5 boxes had sufficiently scared me to a point where I was sure I could make it the last 2 hours of the workday without a piece of pizza. However, normally, free food in the break room is a good thing.

I could go on, but by this point, you have already come up with your own good things. You have also convinced yourself that your good things are better than mine. They probably are, but a conceited approach to little good things in life: not a little good thing.