The Crazy Old Man, The 'Court of Clerks' and a New Friend!
It's been a weird day. It started off absolutely terrible. I packed up the kids, took them to my in-laws' house and then headed back downtown to the courthouse. I hadn't been there before. It's not a place you really want to have to go. But, I went. I took my paperwork and my courage and I marched in there and asked for the Court of Clerks. The officer at the front desk said, 'Oh, you mean the Clerk of Courts?' HA! Yes, that's what I meant. We both laughed and then I went to room 315. I was in and out of there in less than ten minutes. Something that made me so nervous was, in fact, very easy.
I walked out into the beautiful, sunny, perfect day and decided to treat myself to lunch. While I sat at a little cafe, eating a very tasty grilled cheese sandwich, I decided to call my attorney (and good friend). We made our plan for our day in court next week. With that accomplished, I proceeded to call my husband to let him know that everything was finished, at least for now. There's nothing else I can do about the 'crazy old man' this week. We both felt relieved. We know we're taking the right steps to keep our family safe. I asked Bill how his day was going. He wasn't having a great day at work. Everything is manageable, but it was a tough day. Hell, it's been a tough week. I offered to bring him lunch, but he'd already eaten. So, I let him get back to work. He suggested I go do something relaxing for a bit. I did! I got my hair cut and colored. The young woman who was able to fit me in at the salon was incredibly kind.
When we started walking back to her chair, she asked how my day was going. I hesitated and then said, 'It might be one of the worst days of my life.' She was taken aback. I smiled and said, 'But, it's getting better now!' She offered to listen. I told her a bit about our week. We talked about Bunbury and Buckle Up and the 'crazy old man', but I found that the more I talked, the better I felt. She knew all about the festivals and told me that she's going to Buckle Up with her husband this weekend. It was great to focus on the positive.
When I went to the little room where you wait for your hair color to develop, I met a couple of really nice women. They'd overheard me talking about the festivals, knew all about them and told me their plans for the bands they wanted to see this weekend. They both told me to tell my husband that they're so grateful for the work he's doing and that he's changing the city for the better. That felt good. It was unsolicited, but very welcome, especially today. The lady I talked to for the longest was a recent transplant to Cincinnati. She moved here with her husband for his new job. I asked where she was from and she said New York City. My first response? 'Oh, no! Why did you have to leave?!'
She laughed. She said she didn't want to move here at all. I can't say that I blame her! I would choose New York over, well, almost anywhere! However, she quickly pointed out that she's fallen in love with Cincinnati and that my husband is a big part of the reason. I couldn't believe it. There I was, having 'one of the worst days of my life' and this woman was reminding me that my life is really good. It's beyond good. The incidents of this week should be a huge reminder of how much I value my husband and our children. They should serve as a huge, flashing sign that says, 'YOU DO HAVE A LOT TO LOSE, BUT EVEN MORE TO GAIN!'
Thank you, new friend. (She and I exchanged numbers and we have plans to meet at Buckle Up this weekend.) Thank you for helping me to see that one bad person cannot mess with all the good our family is doing. One asshole doesn't get to take that from us. We shook hands, said our goodbyes and I almost couldn't believe my good fortune.
I just have to remember that, if you look for good, you will find it. If you focus on the scary, terrible things that happen, you will only see those things. I don't want to live that way. I want to deal with the problem, resolve it and MOVE ON! It's funny that a perfect stranger was the one who was able to snap me out of my funk. I'm endlessly amazed by the way life works. I do see the good, even in the midst of all the bad. I choose to see more of the good. We have that power.
I walked out into the beautiful, sunny, perfect day and decided to treat myself to lunch. While I sat at a little cafe, eating a very tasty grilled cheese sandwich, I decided to call my attorney (and good friend). We made our plan for our day in court next week. With that accomplished, I proceeded to call my husband to let him know that everything was finished, at least for now. There's nothing else I can do about the 'crazy old man' this week. We both felt relieved. We know we're taking the right steps to keep our family safe. I asked Bill how his day was going. He wasn't having a great day at work. Everything is manageable, but it was a tough day. Hell, it's been a tough week. I offered to bring him lunch, but he'd already eaten. So, I let him get back to work. He suggested I go do something relaxing for a bit. I did! I got my hair cut and colored. The young woman who was able to fit me in at the salon was incredibly kind.
When we started walking back to her chair, she asked how my day was going. I hesitated and then said, 'It might be one of the worst days of my life.' She was taken aback. I smiled and said, 'But, it's getting better now!' She offered to listen. I told her a bit about our week. We talked about Bunbury and Buckle Up and the 'crazy old man', but I found that the more I talked, the better I felt. She knew all about the festivals and told me that she's going to Buckle Up with her husband this weekend. It was great to focus on the positive.
When I went to the little room where you wait for your hair color to develop, I met a couple of really nice women. They'd overheard me talking about the festivals, knew all about them and told me their plans for the bands they wanted to see this weekend. They both told me to tell my husband that they're so grateful for the work he's doing and that he's changing the city for the better. That felt good. It was unsolicited, but very welcome, especially today. The lady I talked to for the longest was a recent transplant to Cincinnati. She moved here with her husband for his new job. I asked where she was from and she said New York City. My first response? 'Oh, no! Why did you have to leave?!'
She laughed. She said she didn't want to move here at all. I can't say that I blame her! I would choose New York over, well, almost anywhere! However, she quickly pointed out that she's fallen in love with Cincinnati and that my husband is a big part of the reason. I couldn't believe it. There I was, having 'one of the worst days of my life' and this woman was reminding me that my life is really good. It's beyond good. The incidents of this week should be a huge reminder of how much I value my husband and our children. They should serve as a huge, flashing sign that says, 'YOU DO HAVE A LOT TO LOSE, BUT EVEN MORE TO GAIN!'
Thank you, new friend. (She and I exchanged numbers and we have plans to meet at Buckle Up this weekend.) Thank you for helping me to see that one bad person cannot mess with all the good our family is doing. One asshole doesn't get to take that from us. We shook hands, said our goodbyes and I almost couldn't believe my good fortune.
I just have to remember that, if you look for good, you will find it. If you focus on the scary, terrible things that happen, you will only see those things. I don't want to live that way. I want to deal with the problem, resolve it and MOVE ON! It's funny that a perfect stranger was the one who was able to snap me out of my funk. I'm endlessly amazed by the way life works. I do see the good, even in the midst of all the bad. I choose to see more of the good. We have that power.
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