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LTRsubNW -> Now, here's something... (9/25/2006 6:51:50 PM)
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I just came home from a remarkably shitty day. (Big time shitty).
Ironically, in my business, things are going exceptionally well, in fact, in all my 31 years of being in business (I started mine at 17), there's never been a better year financially, in fact, this year will blow away my best ever by a factor of at least 3 to 1...and I've had some very, exceptionally good years... but...some days aren't perfect.
This was one of those days.
Backtrack....Sunday (yesterday) I was out throwing the ball for my neighbors dogs. Two yellow labs who seem to think that chasing a ball is all that life was ever designed for. Moreover, that I, uniquely, was designed to throw the ball for them.
In fact, recently I bought a new car. This car actually makes no noise at all. That's only interesting when you consider that my old car gave off some kind of scent or noise that, 12 blocks before I arrived, they knew I was coming, and were somehow on hyperventilation when I drove up, dripping with anticipation (literally), and you could almost read their lips; "You're going to throw the ball for us aren't you? I know you're going to throw the ball for us because you've thrown it in the past and well...you look right now, at this very moment like you're going to throw the ball for us....you're going to throw the ball for us...aren't you?"
And so, that's the way it goes almost every day, rain or shine, whenever I show up, in (whatever car I'm in)....I'm there for the sole purpose of throwing the ball for these two dogs.
(That's actually my purpose in life...everything that gets me to that point is clearly for the sole purpose of preparing me to throw the ball).
So I bought this new car...it's one of those new cars that gets approx. 7 million miles per gallon.
It makes no noise.
(I think it actually makes "anti-noise).
So, yesterday (Sunday) I'm in my yard. These two little girls across the street (both disgustingly cute) come over and ask what I'm doing ("I'm throwing the ball for the dogs").
They'd been there before....but at a respectable distance (I'm a single guy...they have a Mom).
Each time they've been in my yard playing (I having the biggest yard in the neighborhood by a long shot...big enough to throw a ball as hard as you can possibly throw, with one of those dog throwing things from Petco....and still have 9/10ths more yard left over), they've kept their distance...but...each time, they got a little closer (as I'm throwing the ball for the dogs)...not quite sure....wondering..."who is this guy?"..."he's a man"...."Mom told me not to play with strangers"....
Etc.
I was respectful of what I could be fairly confident Mom told them....I just kept throwing the ball.
I'd wave..."Hi :)"...then I'd go inside.
Sunday.
Sunny, 72, I'm chilling...
And I'm throwing the ball.
"Kiandra" comes over and introduces herself.
"Hi...I'm Kiandra..."....."Hi Kiandra...my name is (moi)".
We talked...she was effervescent (as most 8 year olds can be)...asked if she could throw the ball for the dog "of course honey....here...hold it like this".
And then suddenly I remembered I'd gotten this mailer the other day from some company that wants (my company) to buy a katrillion pre printed Christmas cards...and they'd sent 6 samples of what they thought I should buy a bunch of.
It was a sampler of various holiday cards...and at the bottom of each it had some plural phrasing in gold leaf along the lines of "This is where you would put your company name" (Brilliant folks eh?).
I handed these 6 samples to her and told her...."Kiandra....would you like these? (she would)...guess what? You can send these to your very best friends....just cross out this stuff at the bottom and write whatever you want here....and send them to your bestest friends".
I thought I was being incredibly brilliant.
Today I had a shitty day. (A remarkably shitty day. If I were to describe what a shitty day was like...this would be the day I would use to make everyone on the planet clear...."this is what a shitty day is like")
If you can imagine a company that's growing at lightning speed....you can also imagine that even as you do things extraordinarily well...sometimes things don't go as planned.
Today was that day.
I came home and found a Christmas card on my doorstep.
I made no connection (see above as to "remarkably shitty day").
It was from my little 8 year old neighbor friend, Kiandra.
It said: "To (moi) from Kiandra....you are so good at being my friend".
Fine. Be that way.
(Thankfully I'd just had my driveway paved a few days prior, because suddenly my knees were wobbly...and the ground beneath me wasn't anywhere near as stable as I'd remembered).
I went over and showed it to Kiandra's Mom. She laughed and said..."you know...she asked me earlier how to spell your name...I didn't understand why..."
Okay God....shoot me. (You can take me now...I'm ready to go).
It's PERMANENTLY on my wall....it will never be moved...
(What a great day today was).
Yes...today was a great day.
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