5 Things I'm Grateful for Today: #1 Winning when you didn't think you stood a chance
#1 Winning when you didn't think you stood a chance. Free yourself of expectations and you will never be disappointed. When I told my mother about my somber approach to life she shook her head, "How pessimistic." But without expectations I suffer less when nothing happens or bad things happen. And when good things happen, well, then I can revel in the sheer joy and unexpectedness of it like a brilliantly staged surprise birthday party. That's how it feels to win things. Every now and again I'll submit a story or a photo to a contest and then promptly begin the process of convincing myself that the chances of winning are about as likely as getting struck by lightning. Twice. So when the phone call or letter comes announcing that I am, in fact, a winner, I am stunned into silence. The above photo was one of three I submitted to a photo contest in Chongqing. Weeks after I had forgotten all about the contest I found out that they had given one of the photos first place and the other two honorable mention. The prize money was a small fortune compared to what I had been living off of for the past two years as a volunteer. Lightning struck again today when I received an email announcing that my trip submission to the Trazzler NYCGO contest was selected for an Editor's Choice Award. A more religious person than I would be thanking the heavenly powers that be right now. God, if you were here right now, I would give you a big hug.
#2 Patient leaders. I put myself out on a limb last week by going to three of Dance Manhattan's practice sessions. One of which was for salsa, which I haven't danced in close to six years. I am always burdened with a tinge of guilt when someone asks me to dance and I am so obviously inferior to them in skill. I turn to the left when I should have turned right, miss a step here, lose a beat there. Inwardly my partner must be sighing, "How long will this song last, anyway?" So I am grateful for every one of the patient leaders who have offered me a dance. The ones that talk me through a move that I missed, or count out the beats when I have lost them. The ones who gently tread out into uncertain waters with probing questions, "Do you dance on one or two? Can you do a tuck? Have you learned the whip?" And those that don't get frustrated when I haven't a clue what they are referring to. Hopefully with enough practice I will get better and will stop being too ashamed to ask for a second dance.
#3 Free free free. Everyone knows New York City is one of the most expensive cities to live in. All the more reason to be grateful for all the fantastic free stuff that's out there, if you just know where to look. Yoga, bike rentals, dance classes, donuts, haircuts, live music. All for free and free for all.
#4 People who can break out of their bureaucratic chains. This is something that I love about America. Every now and again, you will meet people who feel empowered enough to work the system on your behalf. In China, dealing with customer service, department heads, and middle management was dealing with a giant triple-enforced adamantium wall of NO, I CAN'T HELP YOU. People did not bother with looking for creative alternatives, or ways to bend the rules, they did not even seem very apologetic for being helpless. That's not to say that Chinese people are incapable of such things, I am aware that when it comes to their own personal wants and needs, they can be very imaginative. But most saw nothing to gain by helping someone else out in the same way. In America you can still find the occassional person who will take the extra two minutes to suggest a loophole and give you a way out. There are still people who see the bigger picture and know that by giving the customer a break, the business will not go spiralling towards insolvency. There are still those who understand that slipping one person a freebie isn't going to bring a fire breathing supervisor down upon them. On the contrary, the good customer service model makes for loyal customers. But since there is such an abundance of customers in China, I suppose businesses can afford to lose one or two.
#5 The Vendy Awards. An event that celebrates the best street vendors in the city? What's there not to love? And on Saturday from 9 to ? (showing up early to help set up), this girl, is going to be there.
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