It's The Little Things

OK so it's monsoon season in Baltimore. I wake up to the pitter patter of raindrops falling on my roof, the knowledge of water hitting my roof fills me with pangs of despair. I am unemployed and the roof needs to be repaired, yet another thing to add to The List o'Repairs When I Have Gotten A Freakin' Job. To counteract the despair I decide to go apply for jobs today-good plan-am feeling marvelously positive. I eat a generous bowl of oatmeal with brown sugar and cinammon-I'm having a Health Day. I open the front door filled with the joy of discovering the unknown and see a canoe filled with cats and dogs being piloted by the Gorton's fisherman...obviously there's been a considerable amount of rainfall because I don't live anywhere near the Harbour, a river or a stream. (I am being facetious the Gorton's fisherman does not live on my block and only makes imaginary appearances in this neighborhood.) I grab rain gear, wave to the cats, dogs, fisherman and hoist anchor on the Bea-mobile (a 1995 red Geo Prism with 285,000 miles on it). I set sail and cruise to a large retail franchise and apply for a part time job. Yes I am 37 years old and have never worked retail but I NEED a job, bills gotta get paid, roof needs to be fixed, bathroom needs to be repaired, ceilings need paint and Momma needs a new Fridge before the old one dies. I am an excellent employee. I have a great attitude, I make the workplace fun. I am reliable and shine when I am not limited to doing the same old thing over and over again. I am one heck of a detail oriented chicalambra-I can work it like nobody's business. I turn in the application and pray that I get called for an interview-yeppers I need the ducats, the cashola, the dabloons-ARG!
Next on the list o'things to do-purchase stamps so that what money I have left can be mailed to the mortgage company ('cause I just HAD to buy a Money Pit), the credit card, and the gas and electric company. Knowing that my funds are terribly limited, the Rhinos of Stress dance about in my tumkins-strain does that to a body. I accept the fact that I am poor and zip over to the store to purchase my stamp-a-reenos. I make haste through the grocery store because I am hungry and haven't got much money to spend on luxuries like, well food. I notice medium eggs on sale 2 dozen for a dollar (whoo hoo! I grab 2 doz), breezing down the bread aisle- generic loaves for 75 cents (I swoop down and score me a loaf); with my wicked eye I spy Easter Tootsie Pops (lollipops cleverly shaped like eggs-who woulda thunk it?) 99 cents a bag. I cannot resist their Siren call and toss a bag into my cart. At the check out I consider myself a Master of the Universe because I do not fear eggs. They are cheap, have protein and will sustain me for the rest of the week. Give us this day our daily eggs.
I set sail home and unwrap a Tootsie pop-yes they really are egg shaped-go figure. I realize that I am very lucky. I may be dirt poor and jobless but the minor joys in life like egg salad and Tootsie Pops remind me that it's the little joys that keep me going. Strange but true.