AAA

#30DaysofThankful with #TheGirlWithPurpleHair

Day 10: I am grateful for the Goddess in the Parking Garage

I am not going to bother discussing at length that there is a lapse in writing my Thirty Days of Thankful Challenge. But what I will say is the following: Grades are due at school. I will catch up. And grades are due.

Moving on.

While attempting to leave Equinox this evening, I locked my keys in the trunk of my car. Remarkably, I just said an expected “Shit, are you kidding me?!” But I didn’t fume. Hell, my heart rate didn’t even change. I’m telling you that after teaching children all day, teaching a cycling class, AND then taking yoga that I locked my keys in my car and I wasn’t even mad about it?! YUP.

I suppose one could chalk up my calmer disposition to the post yoga blissful high [ohmygawd, I see the most amazing colors in my savasana, but I digress] or maturity; but whatever it was, I didn’t even react to the situation. Simply, I calmly walked over to the valet and explained the situation. I inquired if I could pay for my parking and get a new ticket so I wouldn’t have to pay for the time I waited for AAA (Triple A) to rescue me. The nice woman working the desk made a note on my parking ticket and said it wouldn’t be an issue. We made small chit chat about silly things we have done and that was that. She allowed me to use their phone since I didn’t have cell service in the parking structure and within 15 minutes AAA arrived.

In 3 deft moves, my car was unlocked and I was headed home when the woman who signed my parking ticket showed up at the exit and said, “I’m just going to let you go this time, have a nice evening.” I was floored by the woman’s kindness. As it was, regardless of my car drama I was over on time and would have needed to pay but that didn’t matter; she met me with kindness anyway. While I didn’t even get the nice woman’s name and I am not even sure that I will ever see her again; I am reminded from our brief interlude that it doesn’t cost anything to be nice to stranger. I am looking forward to being able pay it forward because to be kind to someone else is the greatest gift one could give.