Frosty Friday

I used to love Fridays; the last two have been awful.  This week, the misty conditions made it feel especially cold and lonely, turning what was once a joyful day into a Frosty Friday that mirrored my mood.

To make matters worse, I had to go to the bank; that’s an ordeal, fortunately not on bended knees,  cap in hand. This was just to get authenticated bank statements for a Visa.   I’ve been a client of this bank for at least 35 years; things should run smoothly.  I doubt I’m their worst client.   When my personal banker burst out laughing and almost banged her head on her desk, I knew something untoward was up.  With a long-manicured nail, she swivelled the computer screen around, pointed at my profile, and at my occupation.  I had to lean right over and then give a huge lurch forward until I was flat on my tummy, draped over her desk, nose to the screen, when I almost choked.   My occupation, according to this institution, is “BAR MAID”   -a humorous mislabel that made me laugh and reflect on how others see me.

For the remainder of the day, I had a hangdog look about me.  Eskom didn’t make matters better when they switched our lights off at 18h00 either; I couldn’t bear to spend three hours indoors in the dark.  We headed for the beach. 

A magnificent sunset awaited us.   Couples were settling themselves on benches with sundowners; surfers were enjoying the warm waters and perfect waves. Children were rollerblading up and down, having fun.  I struck up a conversation with a girl who’d just gone for a swim; she needed this perfect sunset more than I did.  When the sun finally set, and the sky changed colour in the East, it was still burning a vivid yellow and red in the West, where we spotted a guy with a hundred red balloons.  I think he had something up his sleeve, and it made me appreciate the simple beauty of the moment. 

Sometimes we have to believe “LIFE TASTES GREAT” even if it’s hard to swallow. After a week of mishaps and funny moments, I realized that finding joy in small things like a sunset or a laugh is what keeps us going.