What's My Secret?

   Last night, after working as part of the event staff for a basketball game, a co-worker came up to me and said, "You gotta tell me your secret."
   "My secret?" I asked, a bit puzzled because I have so many (ha ha!).
   "Yes!" she exclaimed.  "How do you keep that upbeat attitude going all the time?  How come you don't get frustrated?"
   "Ahhh!  THAT secret," I replied with a grin.  "I figure that I might as well keep a positive attitude going because it makes life more fun.  Being grumpy doesn't make things better, and can actually be counter-productive."  


   Working at various events, I see all types of people, most of whom are fairly happy to be there.  However, there always seems to be a few who, due to varying degrees of their frustration levels, want to tee off on somebody - the somebody usually being an easily identified event staff person.  Maintaining a calm, pleasant attitude often does help calm the patron down somewhat - sometimes to the point where they realize they are speaking to another human being and not a cog in a machine.
   I let them know that I understand they are angry, frustrated, upset, etc., but that I cannot change policies or prices.  I suggest that they go enjoy the game and perhaps call the appropriate department or vendor during business hours the next day and voice their concerns then.  Usually, that's all it takes.  They still may be unhappy, but once they've calmed down a bit, they go on to have a better time.  More often than not, the next time I see them, they've joined the ranks of those who are happy to be there.  Heck, some of them will come over to me with a smile to chat about little things like the weather or how crazy the pre-game traffic was.
   Yep, my positive attitude secret does have some good things going for it.  And life certainly is more fun that way.



  

Dishwasher Down!

  I could have gotten upset over this, because it seems that washing the dishes is a never-ending task.  Right now, our dishwasher fills up with hot water and goes through the timed cycles, but what it fails to do is spray water to rinse off the dishes.  There is a click, like it's trying to do something, but like a car with a bad starter, it doesn't quite hit the point where it's actually starting.
  Instead of getting all upset, I decided to wash a few dishes by hand the other night as I was cooking supper.  I used the dishwasher's racks as drying racks and zoned out while washing and keeping an eye on the stove.  By the time the macaroni and cheese was done and mixed with the cooked broccoli, I had the dishwasher filled with clean, dry dishes.  Almost without thinking, I washed the stuff I used for cooking and put them in the counter dish drainer to dry.  
   The whole process took less time than the dishwasher would have, and I got more done.  Not only that (and don't tell anybody), but the act of washing the dishes in the warm, sudsy water had a pleasant calming effect.  Maybe that's why my mom seemed to not mind washing the dishes when I was a kid.
   I find it interesting that sometimes the "old school way" of doing things can be a pleasant and fulfilling experience.  How about you?

Whoops!

I've been so busy since the start of the year that I haven't had time to update this blog.  Over the next few posts, I'll probably be bouncing back and forth between what has happened and what is currently happening.  


Arrrggghh!!  My cat has apparently decided I am now the Alpha Cat, so I gotta give him some attention before I'm off to work at the OSU Baseball game today.  I hope I'll be back soon, LOL!