Manic Monday

today was rather an interesting day.  its a monday. and i love mondays. i'm no garfield.

maybe because i actually don't have a weekend to look forward to, cause i work 7 days a week.  and monday is like any other day. no TGIFridays for me too.

am i complaining? not really. maybe because i have gotten used to it. i have been doing it for almost 10 years now. so i guess at this point, its too late for a whining spree.

but there's something about monday i look forward to.  its the first day of the week. and i see it as a new day to start over with life. reboot and restart.

majority of people are allergic to mondays. its back to work, back to school. back to the routinary things that you simply want to get away from.  not to mention the hangover you accumulate over the weekend.

what is it really about monday?

monday for me signifies a new beginning.  it magnitize me to look forward for an adventure, a miracle and a learning.  may it be small or huge.

i left early than usual to do some on-the-way errands. i stopped over at SLEX Shell Gas station to buy some breakfast. as i was paying for my morning gatorade, this two late teens (couples i think) next to me where fighting over what to buy. ah yes, young love. arguing about anything and everything. been there, done that.

but holding up the line as they argue is something else. i believe its about respect in your surrounding. its not about holding back, but about knowing when. consider the people around, and how they can be affected with the counting seconds of your scene stealer. its called consideration.

surely an adventure.

as i was approaching my exit, i can see from afar the toll clerk looking bored, sleepy or may even be bothered by something.  but am sure that that was not a happy face. as luck would have it, EPASS is still on system repair so i have to pay the toll fee manually. meaning rolling down my window, and stretch my arms as i hand the toll card and coins. effort!

i always say things happen for a reason. and this is one example.

for anyone who knows me, i am not sociable in the morning. i am like a diesel engine, who needs to warm up a bit before i can fully function as a decent human being. but i do greet everyone i encounter. my dad taught me to always say Good morning, thank you and please.

so as i roll down my window and hand out my fee, i said good morning. suddenly the toll clerks face lighten up. and gleefully said "goodmorning mam".. was i the first one to tell her that? as i was about to drive, i said "thank you" and she said "thank you mam sa pag good morning nyo, ingat po sa byahe!" (thank you mam for greeting me good morning and drive carefully)

i guess you'll never know how one gesture can change a person's mood or even change her perspective about life. good and bad side. so don't be afraid to smile and greet people you meet everyday.  your simple "thank you" may be just what they need to jumpstart or end their day with hope. you learn everyday.

but the morning doesn't end there.

i drove my mom at my former art class student's house for a business meeting with her dad.  when i got there, she was all smiles. and i asked her if she remembers me, and she shouted "yes, you're teacher ann!" and ran towards me and hug me.  how sweet was that!

so while my mom was having a meeting with her dad, i was conversing with this 6 year old sweetheart. she was telling me about school and her pet chow chow strangely named fluppy.  then she suddenly ran to the kitchen and disappeared for a good 10 minutes. when she came back she brought food for me.  and her nanny told me that she doesn't want help and she prepared the food all by herself. and said "no, i'll do this. this is for teacher ann!" talk about independent for a 6 yr old.

i am lucky if my students remember my name, let alone remember my face. and i can say i am privilege enough that all the kids i have encountered in my years of teaching still remembers me. that to me is a miracle.

with the 3 incident at the start of my monday, gave a whole new perspective on how i went on with the remaining of my day.

an adventure, a learning and a miracle. life has these everyday. we just have to open our eyes and heart to see and feel what the world is saying.  let us not focus too much on our own wanting and be more sensitive to the needs of the norms around us.

you'll never know.  your simple words or your meek smile can change someone's life. even save it too.

so you see, monday is not that bad.
just have to look at it in a different manner. it might change you too.

~A