Hold Fast to Dreams

You can be indifferent to a problem and pretend it doesn’t exist, but in actuality, you’re only feeding the problem by allowing it to persist.

Recently I’ve come across a couple of quotes that resonated with me.

“Regret for the things we did can be tempered by time; it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable.”

“Never regret anything that once made you smile.”

I think it’s better to do and know than to not do and always wonder.  It can be difficult, yes, but if you’re going to sit there in agony anyway, might as well just leave your fears at the door and take the leap.  Like pouring alcohol over the wound — it gets worse before it can get better, but it’s a necessary action to take.

So let’s do this…

— CELEBRITY SIGHTING ALERT!! —

Guess who I saw on the second floor of Barnes & Noble in Costa Mesa around 1pm today?

……..

DONNY OSMOND!

He, accompanied by what appeared to be his wife and son, was literally only a few feet away from me as I was approaching the escalator.  I probably (not very subtly) did a quadruple take, and indeed it was Mr. Donny Osmond himself.  I left him alone though as he seemed to want to be as regular a customer as possible.  But definitely made my Thursday! 

At times in my life, I’ve been mistreated.  And, really, that’s perfectly alright.  Don’t we all experience that at some point or another?  Just as we need a certain degree of familiarity with sadness in order to appreciate the fortune of happiness, we need to encounter people who disservice us in some way, shape, or form in order to recognize and be grateful for those who do good by us.  So I forgive those whose actions have hurt me because without them, I would neither be conditioned to overcome pain nor embracing of those whose intentions are pure.  Besides, harboring feelings of resentment and animosity accomplishes little but to weigh you down and make you bitter. 

Forgive and forget.  Or, you know, just forgive if forgetting is not plausible. 

There is an ample amount of good to make up for the bad if only you look hard enough.

Today I was reminded that my 23rd (!) birthday is right around the corner.

This does not exactly sit well with me.  Granted, I’ve never really been big on celebrating my birthday, but as the years quickly slip by like sand through an hourglass, birthdays are getting more and more insufferable.  I don’t wanna be old!

Forever 21 was a short-lived fantasy.  Forever 22 would be fine by me.  But NO, I’m aging and it’s out of my hands to stop it.  Maybe ten years ago turning 23 would have been an event worthy of getting excited over — I was a Jordan fan and he, of course, donned the number 23 on his jersey (for a good chunk of his career anyway), and being the age that coincides with my favorite star athlete’s number would no doubt make me the shit, right?

Needless to say, it is not ten years ago.  I must face the facts.  And the fact, plain and simple, is that time is not slowing down for me.

Before I know it, I, like Mr. Jordan himself, will be retired too.  But hopefully it’ll be with a couple of cocktails in hand because I’m gonna need something to compensate for being geriatric.

The following is inspired by:

Being pleasantly surprised by pleasant strangers — something that cannot happen often enough.

……..

Dear Mystery Starbucks Partner,

You know, you’re pretty damn awesome.  You just made my day a lot better.  I don’t even need the (4-shot!) drink anymore — you’re my pick-me-up.  :)

You’re probably one of the coolest baristas I’ve come across.  And that’s saying a lot considering Starbucks is one of my homes away from home.  I drink it like it’s water.  Actually, that may be an ineffective comparison seeing as I don’t really drink water in copious amounts, but you get the picture.  What I should have said is that I drink it like it’s alcohol.  There you go…that one works much better.  

Anyhow, I really just wanted to say that it was refreshing to encounter someone in the service industry being so - GASP! - friendly and personable.  While it’s certainly not expected of you to start a conversation (a nice greeting and amicable smile will suffice in my book), I have to say that you stepping beyond what I am used to is appreciated (I suppose it also doesn’t hurt that you’re easy on the eyes)!  

I seriously have temporarily boycotted certain Starbucks stores (even though they are convenient to me location-wise) because I’m not particularly crazy about the workers.  So I believe it goes without saying that I’m glad I spontaneously chose to stop by the store you happened to be in today.  You have restored my adoration for and faith in all things Starbuckian (these feelings never really died, but they have seen a distinct decline of late).  

So here’s to you!  I regret that I didn’t catch your name, and I’m pretty sure you’re new…guess I’ll have to go back and stalk you until fate allows me the privilege of running into you again.

Until then, keep on being an exemplary employee.

Sincerely yours, a smiling customer,

iced venti cinnamon dolce latte.

Just picked up the new BSB album yesterday and I. LOVE. IT.

With all the craziness, this is going to serve as my escape.  Everything else can just fade into the background.

When I saw you this past weekend … nothing.

Just reminded of how we DON’T really click at all.

And yet I keep on wishing.

I don’t understand it.