Don't Be A Hater

Ok, kids, this is just getting weird. I love a good random moment. I mean, c'mon, who doesn't?! But the number of random moments that have crowded my days lately is just astounding. And let me just say this: It usually takes me a solid day or two before those random moments actually register. So, it seems like every two days I am reliving all those random moments over and over again aside from all the new random moments that keep crashing into my daily life.

Let's review what just happened this morning. Mmkay?

I went to one of my favorite coffee shops this morning where I ran into some friends having coffee. The plan was to sit my tucas down and pound out some much needed design work for my new website, but instead ended up getting roped into a ridiculously long catch up/chatty cathy session. Meanwhile, a 78 year old woman (never mind how I found out that little nugget of info...) sat at the table next to us, every once in awhile chiming into our conversation, while she was waiting for her friend to show up. I was starting to think that her "friend" was never coming and that maybe she was just a lonely old soul with nowhere to go and nothing to do. But minutes later her imaginary friend appeared and soon after the three of us started packing up our things to head to lunch. Just as we started to step away from the table the old woman stopped me and told me not to give up on love. Mind you, we hadn't talked about relationships while she was there. In fact, the only time we talked about relationships was to rehash our friends past and now current relationship with a fabulous woman I haven't met, but already adore. A conversation for which she was not present.

Even typing out those very words now makes my breath catch in my chest and my eyes well up with tears. Who was that strange woman? And how did she know what had been circling round my brain and reverberating through my very being? I haven't exactly thrown in the towel on love, but I have definitely made it clear to friends who are eager to play matchmaker that my heart needs a break. Not to mention, I flippantly made a comment the other night that has clearly been owning my subconscious that basically implied I believe all my future relationships will end in ruin.

I haven't gone all out and become some sort of asexual being or tried to join a nunnery, but I may as well have tattooed the words "Love Hater" on my chest since my latest break up session. And I still can't say just how that 78 year old woman knew my story, but she said exactly what this City Girl needed to hear.

Stolen moments.

Last week someone called me a gypsy. I'm more of a high maintenance gypsy, but definitely a free spirited floater, nonetheless.

Today I ran in my third race; my first all-running type race. I debated, hemmed and hawed, and otherwise procrastinated signing up for this, because I knew in the back of my mind that the minute I signed up for it something would come up that would take me out of town and that I might be inclined to bail. In short, I was nervous to commit to any one place for too long.

Story of my new life.

Anyway, I signed myself and a friend up for our first 5K and was so glad I did. I was proud of myself just for signing up, let alone running it! The run was a little rough at the end and the sun had really started to rise, shine and heat up during the last mile, but I just kept going, all the while thinking about the last 365 days of my life. My mind was racing with how much I had already overcome in my first 29 years, times when I succeeded in spite of circumstances and how I could now survive any new adventures. Panting and beaming, I crossed the finish line with my mom and dad waiting for me at the end with proud parent faces and the camera ready.

It was the first time my parents have attended one of my races and they were awesome! They met me at the starting line, cheered me on mid-way with cups of water and bananas and were at the finish line to tell me how proud they were of my running efforts. And that's when it hit me. Today was a stolen moment. It's not about getting to the next adventure. It's about enjoying the one I'm experiencing today.

Apparently, I'm a giant goof when I'm out running. Sheesh.

I can't believe I almost bailed on this race. I almost said, "Fuhgetta bout it!" and hit the road on yet another wild trip to new cities, but something told me it wasn't time to leave yet. Something whispered to me, "Stay a little while longer." I'm so glad I listened.