I am a teacher. It is summer. The only real obligations I
have, other than being a wife and mother, are to my couch, my relaxation and my
sanctity. I watch lots of movies and television; lots of movies and television.
On this particular day, I had two movies in my possession. Both were from Red
Box.
Anyone who knows about renting DVDs from Red Box knows the
end of the rental period, is 9 pm of the following night. The penalty for being
late is being charged another night’s rental. As a self- proclaimed cheapskate,
that is a definite ‘no bueno’ moment. I am explaining all of this because I
learned my lesson, not from the movie, rather from the experience of returning
it.
See, I started watching the movie at about 7:20p. m. That
did not bode well for returning the movie on time, but I figured, what the
heck! I finished the movie at 8:50 p. m. This left me 10 minutes to get my
shoes, my car out of the garage and my butt to the Red Box kiosk, located 7
minutes away. My first thought was, “You know, I won’t make it. I may as well
take the charge. Why rush for nothing?” Then I remembered how annoyed it makes
me to waste money; even if it would only be $1.30. So, at 8:54 p. m., I got
into my car and began the drive.
I didn’t rush. I didn’t speed. I just drove. What I didn’t mention-
which also plays into my initial thought’s pessimism- is this kiosk is normally
the busiest kiosk in the area. It is, unfortunately, the closest too! Today, however,
it was empty. I returned the movie at exactly, 8:58 p. m. Unbelievable,
right?!?!
I sat in my car and just took in the moment. What I gained
from this experience was more than I could ever imagine. I was genuinely happy.
This wasn’t the, ‘I saved a buck’ happy. Rather, it was the 'I really feel
accomplished' happy!
Basically, I am logical, to a fault. I do not do things on
whims or via spontaneity. I do calculated; well- thought out and researched
things, only. Conventional logic told me to just take the charge because I
wouldn’t make it anyway. After all, the kiosk is located 7 minutes from my
house and I left with only 6 minutes to spare. Instead of following my head on
this day, I followed my heart and threw caution to the wind. What was the worst
that could happen? I knew I would probably be charged; therefore, I had nothing
to lose. And in the moment which I threw caution to the wind, I realized what
living was all about.
Life is not about planning every day to the letter. Life is
not about knowing what to expect and then dealing with it. Life is not about
lists and details and understanding all of the options. Life is about passions,
experiences and trusting oneself. Life is really about living.
I spend so much of my time worrying about this thing or that
thing, living for everyone around me and just going through the motions, that I
can’t stand my situations sometimes. Actually, I don’t think I have been
totally happy in a very long time. I don’t even know that I really know what
happiness is. This is what I do know….Life is too short to not BE. It doesn’t
matter what BEING is. It just matters that I trust my instincts and be true to
my passions. Happiness is always available. I just have to be committed to
reaching out and grabbing my piece of it. I am glad I returned that Red Box
movie. I experienced an epiphany that has changed me forever. I experienced
fate and I lived for the moment.
