BE CALM

This past weekend as Blair and I were driving up to Wintergreen, VA, I noticed the personalized license plate on the car in front of us. 

"BE CALM," I read aloud.

"Advised the people driving the Lexus LX Suv," added Blair, eyeing the upscale black vehicle the plate hung on. 

We had a chuckle over it, passed them (that's what you get for being calm) and continued on our way. 

Flash forward to our drive home from Wintergreen.

"Look over there," said Blair, motioning to the lane next to us. 

Guess who? That's right, BE CALM was back beside us, returning from wherever they'd been at the exact same hour that we were. 

"No way," I said. "What are the odds? Obviously the Universe wants us to BE CALM." 

"I'm calm," said Blair. "Are you calm?"

"I was calm until I saw the BE CALM plate," 'I said. "Now, honestly, I'm a little freaked out." 

Nothing else to add. Just one of those asides that makes you think a bit and wonder if life is random or are things planned. What's your take on it?

Cheers,

Dena

Why Is Dena Being... Nice???

One of the "back of my mind" goals for 2012 is to be nicer to people. Not people I know and love and interact with on a regular basis like my mom and Blair and friends--let's not get crazy. No, instead I'm focusing more attention on being nice to complete strangers. 

Why? Too often I go through life head down, so focused on getting to the next place or achieving the next goal I just blow by the people the Universe has placed in my path. What would happen if I actually stopped and paid attention to them?

Yesterday I was working in a local coffeehouse and an older gentleman came in. We exchanged hello's and he asked me if I had "one of those iPhones." I said I did and he pulled out a brand new model and asked if I knew how to check and see if he had a voicemail. 

I showed him how to access his voicemail and he explained his wife usually showed him how to work these things. I smiled, picturing a sweet gray-haired woman leaning over an instruction manual and then he said, "She used to be a programmer with the FBI." 

Uh, hello--you have my attention. It gets better. Then he says, "I used to work command missions for the CIA." 

Pull up a chair! I sat and talked with this fascinating individual for almost 40 minutes. He told stories of past missions (he and his team pushing over a downed helicopter so they could use one of the guns on it to fire at attacking enemies) and how he and his wife met and eventually how they came to settle in this area. 

The amazing part to me is that this guy was totally non-descript. Nothing about him, including the fact that he had to ask me how to access his voicemail, hinted at the rich and exciting life he'd led. But isn't that true for most people? We have no idea the fascinating ideas, dreams, or travels of so many people around us because we assume that what we observe on the surface is all that's there. 

I'm probably more guilty of this type of assuming behavior than most people. Hence the resolve to do a better job of "seeing" people for who they really are, and maybe taking just a bit of time to listen to their stories. 

It's asking a lot from someone who is not naturally a "people-person." That's why I'm using this year to focus on strangers. I can't be expected to do that AND up my game with friends and loved ones.

Being nice to them will have to wait for 2013. 

If they're lucky. ;)

Cheers,

Dena

"Men Don't Share Clothes"

As we saw in yesterday's post, Facebook friends have been generous with hooking me up with attire for the rapidly approaching Smug Married Ski-athon. Yesterday, my friend Christie's husband asked her, "What about Blair?"

"What about him?" she said. 

"Dena's got ski clothes now. What's Blair going to wear?"

"I have no idea," said Christie. "All I'm concerned with is that my girl is going to look hot enough to melt snow." (Perhaps you can see why we're friends.) 

"We men have to stick together," said Mike. "Blair can borrow my ski jacket." 

How nice is that? I made arrangements to pick the jacket up this weekend. However, when I mentioned the jacket to Blair last night, he shook his head. 

"Men don't share clothes."

"You're kidding me, right?" I asked. "This isn't sharing clothes. It's a jacket. You wear your own clothes underneath it."

"Men don't share clothes." 

"Are you telling me you'd rather spend a bunch of money on a new ski jacket that's probably only going to be worn this one time? That makes no sense."

"That's exactly what I'm going to do," said Blair. "And you know why?"

"Don't even," I warned. 

"Because. Men. Don't. Share. Clothes." 

I'm going with Blair tomorrow to look at--and most likely purchase--ski attire from Sports Authority. However, I'm also bringing home Mike's jacket on Sunday for Blair to try on. That's when the real battle of wits will begin. 

If we don't settle it here, we'll battle it out on the slopes. 

Cheers,

Dena