what went right

Some hints of cynicism have been coloring the edges of the days lately. It occurs to me that I am really scared about finding my next job. I long for work that is colorful and interesting and fun, but man. Three seasons of The Office have threatened my belief that such a job even exists.

This morning I went to another class at Dance 101. The class was led by Ofelia, who basically owns the studio and calls the shots. She led one of my introductory classes a few weeks ago and I wanted to try another one of her classes, because I really liked her style.

We started with a warm-up. Ofelia's graceful style turns even basic stretches into elegant displays of art. The way she moves is just so beautiful. As we danced through the class, I found myself feeling so grateful that this woman had found dance (or that dance had found her) and that she had decided to open this studio to students. She didn't even discover dance until her late 30s — then she dropped everything, sold the insurance business she had started in her 20s and put all of her energy into Dance 101.

When you see Ofelia dance, you sense that she is doing the exact work that she was made for. It's so beautiful to know that this kind of perfect fit does happen sometimes.

Today, in an effort to push back against the brittle taste of my own negativity, I am writing a list of What Went Right. There are always far more things that go right in a particular day than go wrong, right? I wish I was not so quick to brush aside the joys of the day and agonize over the "problems." So without further ado:

- Made it to dance class and back safely.
- I got some of the dance steps down correctly, and found those very enjoyable!
- Anticipating going out for a yummy dinner with two juicy girlfriends this evening
- Andy and his wife were nowhere near their Twin Cities home when that bridge collapsed in Minneapolis. They use that bridge all the time, but they happened to be on vacation yesterday when it fell apart.
- The old discarded leather chair I spotted a few days ago down the street was still available to be photographed this morning... photos possibly forthcoming on Flickr.
- I did not have to work today with S.J., C.D., K.B., or J.B. (a host of former work people at the VLMC who were pretty much impossible to deal with).
- I found the absolute perfect card at the store down the street to give to a certain friend this weekend. I don't know why that's so satisfying, but it really is.
- No one else was using the washing machine so I put my clothes right in and now they smell terrific.
- A very kind librarian was able to find the misplaced copy of the Cormac McCarthy book while I waited so I could check it out.
- I got to spend the whole day on the couch reading said Cormac McCarthy book (an extremely rewarding way to spend a day).

Remind me to make lists like this more often.