Light Bulbs

A couple of lights in my apartment needed to be replaced, so I took care of that. I looked forward to the additional light we would regain in the room. Of course I expected brighter light when I turned it on again, but it still struck me how very bright it was. It actually felt wonderful to have more light in the room. What amazes me even more is that physical light can have very similar effects on one's attitude and optimism as spiritual light and truth.

Hearing Aids

I was born with a minor hearing loss that was just enough for me to need hearing aids since third grade. Those miniature marvels have been such a blessing to me, making the audible world around me much more clear. Sometimes, it is annoying to have things in my ears, but overall I am very grateful to have them. Having this slight hearing loss has never interfered with my academic, social, or spiritual progress, and I am grateful for that as well. I am also grateful to know that in the next life and when the final judgement comes, I will be able to hear perfectly.

A Bit of Fun with Strangers in a Charter Bus

Today I am grateful for a brief interaction I had this evening. On my way back to my apartment this evening, I came to a busy street and waited for a green light to walk across. As I waited at the corner, a large charter bus drove by and was stopped right in front of where I stood because of very heavy traffic that became jammed for a couple of minutes at a time.

I noticed the bus was full of young people who seemed to be high school age. I also noticed some of the students looking right at me. They even started to knock on their window to try to get my attention. Well, they succeeded, but I pretended to be aloof by looking in every other direction except straight ahead at them.

This lasted for about a minute, and at first I felt I was in an awkward situation. Then, I decided this could be an opportunity to have a small bit of fun with these high school students. I continued to ignore them until their bus started moving. Right then, I turned to them, waved back and gave a large grin. The students noticed immediately and they seemed to be saying, "Oh, now he waves at us just as our bus leaves!" I saw them laughing, and I was laughing too. In retrospect, I suppose it might have been fun to do a few small dance moves for them before they left. But, at least I got to give them a wave and a smile. My light turned green, and I gave a casual salute in their direction as I walked away.

Come what may, and love it. :)

Some Time for Ice-Cream

It has been another long and busy Friday, and I was about ready to call it a night. Then, a cousin in town called me and offered to take me out for ice cream to wish me a happy belated birthday. Our time together was brief, but it meant a lot to me. I am grateful and appreciate the time he took to recognize my birthday and to catch up with me. It was a satisfying ending to another long and busy Friday.

Pleasant Surprises

Thursdays are busy days for me at school, and that's where my birthday falls this year. However, I am grateful that I was able to take the time to go to lunch with a family member and receive a surprise visit from friends this evening. Add to that a couple dozen text and online messages from other friends and family. I was touched by these small acts of kindness and friendship today, and they all came as pleasant surprises. I am grateful for this day. It was a long school day, but those few hours spent with friends and family made it special.

Oranges

I think the only truly terrible thing about oranges is the fact that nothing rhymes with it. Other than that, they are wonderful and tasty. It was very refreshing to sink my teeth into an orange as I took a walk this evening.

Band Music

This morning I listened to one of the top bands at my campus play at a mini concert for students. The music was fun, crisp, and at times profoundly beautiful. I am not as familiar with brass bands as I am with string orchestras, but I really enjoy the sound of a good band ensemble. They can drown out my cheers, impress me with their complex drum licks, and soothe me with a sweet melody accompanied by full, swelling chords. I am grateful for band ensembles.