It is going to be an interesting day when it starts with a cat throwing up on the rug and you almost step on a cottonmouth moccasin. Well, maybe interesting isn’t the right word, but it is better than what popped into my head as I cleaned up the cat mess.

Perhaps, I should clarify my opening sentence by explaining that the moccasin was not on the soiled rug. No, it was lying in front of the door at my father-in-law’s house.

My daughter was spending part of the morning with him while I took care of errands. I pulled up at the house to drop her off and was about to step onto the porch when I saw the snake.

I stepped into reverse as I waved my arms in the direction of my daughter who was running up behind me and my father-in-law who was about to open the door. What came out of my mouth was incoherent gibberish punctuated with the word SNAKE.

The moccasin proceeded to crawl across the doormat and around the corner of the house. My daughter and I slipped inside while my father-in-law had a visit with the snake, which did not end well for the critter.

Let me insert here that I as a rule I try not to kill anything, and if the snake isn’t poison, it is in no danger from me. I do not go into the woods or down to the water in search of snakes, but if a poisonous one invades my space, it will not survive.

The snake scare put me behind schedule for an appointment and I found myself nervous and anxious as I hurried into town. I took a couple of deep breaths ready to settle myself down from cat vomit and crawly critters.

Oh, but I wasn’t done with experiencing things I’d rather not have to experience. My next adventure was encountering someone with vastly different views who wanted to have a political conversation.

It’s taken a while, but I’m finally learning that discussing politics is a big NO, NO. I tried to inject, as nicely as I could, that it was best to “agree to disagree,” but my friend was having none of it.

There was an energy of anger coming into the comments directed my way and I did not want to move in that direction. So, I did what I probably would not have done at another time in my life — I shut my mouth.

Funny thing, it’s hard for a conversation to deteriorate into an angry exchange where feelings get hurt if there is only one person participating. This lesson did not come easily to my understanding and I still forget it sometimes.

I was pleased I made the choice not to get into an argument and, again, found myself breathing deeply hoping for a calm rest of the morning. But it wasn‘t happening yet.

You know sometimes there is someone who doesn’t like you. He or she doesn’t really know you, but instantly doesn’t like you. Yep, that came next. I ran into one of those folks who greeted me with a “nasty/nice” comment.

In case you don’t know what that means, nasty/nice is when someone says something nasty but does it in a way that a response makes it seem like you are the nasty one. I do not care for nasty/nice comments.

I heard it. I recognized it and I made a choice not to engage in an exchange of nasty niceness. Instead, I smiled, tried to make a little polite conversation and then went on my merry way.

Back at home, I thought about my morning filled with cat vomit, snakes, political discord and nasty/nice comments.

“Boy, life played with me today,” I said as I petted the offending cat.

Suddenly, I had a thought that made me laugh, and through the laughter, I whispered.

“Thank you Lord that I’m alive, breathing and experiencing every second of this interesting day.”

 

Nancy Blackmon is a former newspaper editor and a yoga teacher.