Choose Your Own Adventure

I stopped at the ATM on the way into work this morning to deposit some desperately-needed checks. Overwhelmed as I was by the world yesterday, I had passed out ridiculously early and gotten a decadent night’s sleep. (Not Woodthrush Woods decadent, but nice enough.) So when a tall woman entered through the glass door and said, “How are you this morning?” It occurred to me to answer properly.

I’ve been trying harder to be more selfish about some things and more selfless about others — this greeting is one of them. In Tennessee there’s sort of a protocol. This question, once posed, elicits one of two answers: “Fine” or “Fine, how ’bout yourself?” The first is selfish. The second is proper and respectful. I gave the second.

“You know, I was talking to the man at the gas station this morning…”

Oh right. That’s why I’m usually selfish in the morning. Because I’m a story magnet, and I usually can’t process this much information before 8:00 am. But since today already felt like a better day than yesterday, I indulged her while I licked my envelope and punched in my code.

“…and I asked him the same question. He said, ‘Every day I wake up in the morning and I say to myself, “I CHOOSE to have a good day this morning.” Because I have the power to make that choice.’ So, I believe I choose to have a good day today.”

“I like that,” I told her honestly. “I believe I choose to have a good day as well.” And suddenly, I did. The rest of the crazy world could go to hell and wait on me to catch up.

What kind of day do you choose to have today?