Yesterday was a perfect fall day: overcast and breezy, but not cold. I was able to spend much of my day indoors catching up on schoolwork (Greek; mostly block diagramming which is NOT very fun), but I did get a chance in enjoy the weather that afternoon.
I had a tutoring appointment with one of the Hebrew 1 students who needed some extra help with the newer material before the upcoming exam. I made plans to meet her at Panera (great atmosphere, but a 15 minute drive from my house) late afternoon. I thought there would not be much traffic; schools had let out earlier, but it was prior to the normal evening rush. I was wrong. While the traffic was not TOO bad, I hit every red light (seven total) and spent the majority of my drive following a car going 25 in a 35 MPH zone. Needless to say, I was late, frazzled, and NOT enjoying the perfect day as much as I should have been.
I found her at a comfy booth waiting. I apologized profusely for being late; she was already there studying, so it did not inconvenience her. She had already gotten some coffee, and she had bought me a grande-sized coffee as well. This is where my new life paradigm kicked in. Panera was packed full of people studying and working, but we had managed to be at a very comfortable booth. On top of this blessing, I was getting an unexpected free coffee for my time/trouble. It really made my day.
I spent the next twenty minutes explaining morphological principles of Hebrew words, along with a few study habits that may help with memorization, and left. I sat in my car for a few minutes sipping my coffee (decaf, of course, with 2% milk and honey) and enjoying just being out and about. And, I must say, I felt very accomplished for choosing to slow down and enjoy life for a few extra minutes.
An added bonus: For the day, I was able to catch up on all my schoolwork, spend extra time making a big and healthy lunch for Doug and I (stir-fry pork and veggies with cheesy noodles), update our finances for the week, and relax all evening. Everything that needed to be done was done with plenty of time to spare. I guess when you start taking care of yourself, things just seem to fall into place more easily.
And yes, I realize that is not the most common usage for the word distance ;)
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