It would be asinine to say it was another beautiful day, where I learned a lot about myself and have solved one of life's problems. Instead, I'll admit that I got out of bed on the wrong side & had to work to make the day come around.
Now that Showtime has started working, I am excited that I can once again watch "United States of Tara." If you've never seen the show, it is about a woman who suffers from dissociative identify disorder (DID), formerly known as multiple personality disorder. The protagonist has 3 "alts" (alternate personalities) -- a kickass guy name named Buck, a perfectionist housewife, and a teenager named "T." Whenever a situation arises that is a bit too much for Tara, one of the alts jumps in to save the day and protect her... from herself. Who hasn't had a day where they just wished they would not have to face a confrontation? A day where your kid, friend, neighbor tested your patience beyond your last nerve and you just wished it were possible to conjure up Mr/Mrs Perfection to make everything better. Well, for most of us we're forced to face the good, the bad, and the ugly of our days in a single integrated personality. **Ugh**
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Along with getting up on the wrong side of bed, I had to walk to DCO from Dupont Circle to Georgetown. To make the walk pass easier, I brought along a camera to take photos of the architecture, roadways, and life in general in DC at 9am. The office overlooks the Potomac River with the skyline of VA right beyond. The last time I was there, I had seen rowers moving up the river at lightening speed. I can imagine Mr. Stephen Benjamin or James Head commenting on their skill -- I was just impressed by their precision. In the same complex is a residence that houses our Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and on the other side the Swedish Embassy. So, I'm sure you can imagine, this is the right side of town to be in. I treated myself to a chai tea latte from Starbucks and a breakfast sandwich with bacon, mmm-good.
The consistency of hiring nice people at work is such a welcome relief. I was greeted by Renee in Office Services who personally introduced me to the DC office, walked me to security to get my new security badge, and later showed me where the building fitness room was located. A CRA in marketing shared a "good morning" conversation that included tips on places to go, as well as an offering for lunch the next time I was free. The IT helpdesk guys stopped by several times just to confirm that everything was ok. Like I said, just nice people.
Upon leaving the office to head to Grameen, initially, I was ok maintaining my upgraded semi-funk and read, but instead I decided to join in a conversation already in progress. As a result, I had the pleasure of sharing a laugh with some ladies on the shuttle ride to the metro. One woman shared a story about her neighbor being "a trip." The neighbor lives in an apartment with 5 kids and her husband. However, every evening her boyfriend comes over to cook for the family, wash clothes, clean up, and then she & the boyfriend head out until 12 or 1 am in the morning, at which time she returns home with her hair and clothes disheveled and sometimes with this same boyfriend in tow. And yet, people wonder how baby-momma drama begins....
The shuttle ride ended with the driver pointing me toward the red line metro. As I disembarked from the train, a woman offered to walk me to the train station to ensure that I got to the appropriate location. As we walked, I saw a park that at its present moment wasn't much to look at. The grass was all brown and yellow, the trees did not have a single leaf, and the grounds were slightly disheveled. Nonetheless, I commented that I was sure that the park was lovely when Spring came around. The woman agreed and then went on to tell me of other parks that I should visit while in DC, the fact that the cherry blossoms are a must see event, and tips and tricks for traveling to the Kennedy Center without having to hail and pay for a taxi. She was happy to share stories about what a beautiful place her city becomes in the spring.
Then, while on the metro, a swarm of people got onto the train. One gentlemen was able to grab a seat before some others. However, when he saw a slightly older woman step onto the train he immediately offered his seat to her. When he stood next to me, I commented on what a nice gentlemen he was (he & I were probably the same age). I'm convinced we don't hear enough compliments in our daily lives, because me sharing one with this guy made me smile. My mood was finally moving toward the upswing.
Since I can't be like Tara, I'm convinced that the next best thing is to self-induce some cognitive dissonance every now and again. When I am having a day when I feel really in a foul mood, I like to force myself to smile and say positive things. Eventually, the disconnect between my behaviors and feelings will have to realign to mesh. In the process, I can pay forward a bit of positivity to make someone else's day a bit better. Plus, it's less likely that my friends will have to sit me down and give me the "Alayne you're being a bia-bia conversation." Something for which we can all be grateful.
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