Have you ever paid attention to the people in your life without the leading roles? The people who you see on a somewhat regular basis, but don’t really know. Maybe you see them at pickup, the grocery store, or the post office. They’re the ones you make up stories about in your head. Sometimes I think my surrounding cast is just as important as the lead characters in my life. They add a sense of stability, without adding drama. And it always feels good to recognize someone.
“What are you going to do for yourself today?” my therapist asked. “I’m gonna grab a chai tea latte on my way home,” I replied, already calculating how I’d Tetris my day together for maximal productivity. Though I’ve spent a lot of time working on not labeling things as black and white, good or bad, or success or failure, it remains a challenge. I still proceed through my days giving myself green check marks when my day meets my expectations, or red x’s when my plans derail.
Since moving to Florida, we instituted the tradition of road trips to the Smoky Mountains each fall. A week or two in the mountains gives my soul the autumn weather it craves, unavailable in always-sunny Florida. It’s a 14-hour drive, which we usually break up into two chunks on the way there, and do in one, long-ass, straight shot on the way back.
©2023 · Laura Onstot