Color Me Rosy

apple pie

football

chilly weather

snow on the mountains

fresh powder

camp fires

clear starry nights

smooth pavement with no traffic

finishing a workout

my family

sleeping in until 10

using tools

rock climbing

the hammock by the beach in turtle bay

Jamba Juice

Nacho Libre

the sound of maple connecting with a fastball

finishing the swim segment of a triathlon

the list goes on...

take 10 minutes and see what you can come up with

BW: So you’re not in your 20’s anymore, how do you feel about that?

Me: Like I’ve been on the earth long enough for it to make 30 trips around the sun.

BW: …Ok, what does that mean?

Me: . . .

BW: We’re off to a good start aren’t we?  Really though, how do you feel?

Me: The same as I did yesterday, I’m healthy and my knees work. My hair is getting thin but not so thin I have to buzz it all off.

BW: You are taking it pretty well; some people have a hard time with turning 30, do you wish you could be 20 again?

Me: Yeah I can understand that. Sometimes I see younger guys out partying, staying up late, eating junk, spending all their money on video games or nice cars and I think, Wow those guys are…nope, I hope I never was like that. So no, I don’t want to be 20 again.

BW: What is your biggest accomplishment so far then?

Me: My family. I can’t take credit for everything they are, and how ridiculously good looking my children are, but since I’m here right now if you want to give credit to someone, I’ll take it.

BW: What is one thing you are looking forward to this decade?

Me: There are lots of things, some material things like getting a bigger house but I also want to finish my Master’s Degree soon so I can move on to learning other things. Maybe move somewhere that isn’t a desert, closer to family. I would like to get back into triathlons, it has been over a year since I competed and becoming more competitive is an important goal for me. Stay healthy.

BW: Staying healthy is a pretty big one for you right? You kind of had an experience last year.

Me: Yes, being diagnosed with cancer was scary. I have great family, friends and faith that made it go a lot better than it could have. I have been blessed lot this year too. Very few side effects from the medication, I was back on my bicycle within a couple months.

BW: What would you say to anyone who is feeling bad about getting older?

Me: There are lots of people who had their big break in their 30’s so there is no reason for anyone to feel bad about it. I bet everyone 40 and over is laughing at me right now. Anyway, think about people like Adam Levine, Jenna Fischer, Zooey Deschannel, Peyton Manning, David Ortiz, they are all in their 30’s. Tina Fey started writing for SNL in her 30’s, Will Ferrell was 36 when he did Elf and 37 when he did Anchorman, J.K. Rowling published the first Harry Potter book in her 30’s, Sylvester Stallone was 30 when Rocky was released and Harrison Ford was 35 when he played Han Solo. And there is one other person to feel good about, me.

BW: Did you ever see that movie, “13 Going on 30”?

Me: I have no idea what you are talking about.

Some people hit the high seas and go on a cruise for vacation.  Others road trip across multiple states or fly across the country looking for their next adventure.  Me?  I drive the 2.5 hours to Cedar City and mingle with the small town, home grown folks inhabiting Southern Utah.  It's okay to roll your eyes.  I do.  Or at least I used to.  

There is a "must do" list I have for whenever I am in Southern Utah.  Brad's Food Hut is at the top of that list.  It's greasy, deep fried, saturated-in-anything-that-might-cause-a-coronary deliciousness.  My mother, the nutritionist, will deny it if asked but might possibly be having a small love affair with their fish'n'chips and dirty Dr. Pepper.  It's that good, y'all.  Anyway, I was sitting in the drive-thru after having ordered when one of the girls working comes to get my payment.  The total: $23.48.  When she returned with my card and the receipt, I checked out the amount paid and had to double check the numbers staring me back in the face.  $8.48.  As if reading my mind, the girl at my window explained the difference, "The lady in the car ahead of you comes in once a week and pays an extra $15 for the car behind her," before hurrying back inside.  The mysterious woman who paid for more than half of my order was gone and I didn't know who to thank.  For once, I was speechless.  I've heard of this kind of thing happening but never has it happened to me.  I couldn't believe it.

I'm not entirely sure why I happened to be the recipient of good deeds on my last trip home, but the occurrence at Brad's wasn't the only one.  My grandmother woke one morning having a major craving for pancakes.  I've tried to get a handle on my culinary handicap but have yet to master the pancake flip.  I wasn't about to attempt it, especially since my grandma wanted them so much.  The solution to my problem came in the form of IHOP.  You want pancakes?  Why not go to the International House of, right?  

I have a daughter.  She has this condition known as "three years old".  Most things she does are unpredictable.  But there are some that roll around like clockwork and most of these things involve the bathroom.  We get in the car and she suddenly needs to go.  We sit down in a restaurant and she can't possibly hold it any longer.  That morning, at IHOP, was one of those instances.  We deserted our booth and rushed to the bathroom.  Business done, we returned to find what appeared to be a hastily written note and a 5 dollar bill in the middle of our table.  "We noticed you had kids and remember how expensive it can be to feed them.  Hope this helps."  In between wondering how loud my kids had to be for someone to notice they were in the building and looking around for a clue as to who left the note and money, I was touched.  This was random act of kindness number two in the span of a few days.  

A week that I expected to be unremarkable has changed my outlook on life and people.  I am ashamed to admit that I get a little frustrated with the lack of compassion in the world.  I know there are great people out there.  I read and hear about amazing stories of service and selfless charity, but often times the negative overshadows the positive and I forget that maybe there is a little hope in the world.  Maybe, just maybe, there are people who really do care about the big picture.  It's nice to be reminded and an ordinary trip to Cedar City, Utah, has definitely brought a little spark into my life.  To top it off, I probably won't be rolling my eyes the next time my mother requests us home for a visit.