THE SIMPLEST THING

As I was literary dragging myself into work this morning at 7:15 a.m., thinking about all the stacks of papers waiting on my desk, worrying about my elderly parents, whom I stop by and check on every morning before coming to the office, agonizing over a meeting I had to attend today, and basically just hating life…the most extraordinary thing happened.   It was something I’ve never seen before in the little mountain town where I live and I’ll probably never see it again; it’s something I might have seen in a TV commercial or movie.  But wow, it touched me in the most amazing way.

Loaded down with my purse, my bag the size of a suitcase that carries all my necessities for the day, my coffee mug and my bitchy attitude, I sauntered very reluctantly up the sidewalk towards my office building.  And then, this young man—probably in his early twenties—came dancing around the corner, down the sidewalk and right past me.  Yes…dancing and smiling, and changing my entire world.  He was tall, thin, and wearing tan pants, a red hoodie and a burgundy knit cap.   Earphones dangling from under the sides of his cap were obviously providing him with a melody that was starting his day off in a spectacular way, because his expression was one of complete happiness.

The smile that came to my face was immediate and sincere.  I turned after he danced past me and watched him swinging his arms out to his sides like he was doing the wave, and moving his feet in rhythmic movements, until he was around the next corner and out of sight.

He was so unexpected, and what he was doing was such a simple thing really, but he brightened my day in a way he’ll never even know.   Thank you, Happy Young Dancing Man.   Even though nothing in my world has changed other than my attitude, I’m now having a spectacular day, too.