Wednesday, September 28, 2011

There's Always a Good Side (And by implication, a bad side, but nevermind that.)

For example, you go to pick up a cinderblock out back, and you find an entire teeming world of life under there.  That's good.  Life = good.  No life = heavy lifting without the ten minutes you'd spend watching all the little critters scamper for cover while you marvel at the complexity of the thing happening underneath you.  Did you know that a within a single football field sized space, there can be over 1 million earthworms?  Just imagine.  Every step you take on dirt, there are, like, uh, a lot of worms underneath your feet.  (I'll send you a thank you note if you can figure out an equation that will give me the actual number.)

Bad side:  Your cup is empty.  Good side:  You are full of coffee.

Bad side:  You are a tired and cranky mom.  Good side:  Your daughter offers you grace at the end of the day with a hug and a kiss and giggling as you draw pictures on her back.  "This is Henrietta."  Scribbly lines.  "And this is Henrietta's wheel."  Circle.  "And now Henrietta is crawling into her wheel and..."  Making a circle shape over and over on her back as she crumbles into giggling.

Bad side:  You haven't reread the story you are teaching tomorrow.  Good side:  The story is less than one page long and the coffee maker is set to automatic.  Plus, a smarter, more alert version of yourself composed wonderful lecture notes and thinking questions for the story last semester.  Nice work, older self.  I owe you one.  How about the two of us get some coffee sometime and catch-up?  Is that even possible?

Bad side:  At the parent teacher conference, you can't think of anything you'd like Mrs. B to do to help Nora improve.  Good side:  You can't think of anything you'd like Mrs. B to do to help Nora improve.

Bad side:  You miss your friends.  Good side:  Your friends live in your computer, so you can talk to them all the time even when you can't see them.   (I miss you, everyone.)

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