Now that the blizzard of 2015 has hit, left its mark, sent the whole world(at least Middle Tennessee) is a tail spin, I have to reflect upon the pros and cons of time off work. Considering I am NOT A LOVER OF WINTER, lets make that perfectly clear, it is with great angst that I have been left in over the past three days. Backstory: The last eight months of my life have been spent working…and I am the better man for it, although I have had the “minimal”complaints as anyone would, that being said…..I have enjoyed nearly every minute. So while the world is in awe over the beautiful snow covered universe, I on the other hand am annoyed. Hence my dilemma! All I wanted was to not work on Saturday…..two in a row was plenty, heck one in a row is plenty for me but this snow blizzard is ridiculous…so my rock/hard place situation was hoping for a little break …..only to get trapped inside. Why do I do this to myself?

There was a time in my everyday life that this would have been an exquisite dilemma, I had four kids in school and we had no reason to leave the house….I didn’t have to worry about them driving out in the mess….we ate junk food, played games and argued about when was it ok for them to play outside…my answer…LATER! The twenty minutes of silence wasn’t worth the cleanup afterwards! Winter for me back then was pretty and dreamy and so sweet because here in Tennessee is was more of a rarity….but now that I am old and old….its just too darn cold!!!

Why must winter come? I know it kills the mosquitos! NOT TRUE…I still get bit every year just as much….I know it keeps the moles out of our yard because not so many gross worms or whatever it is they like for them to eat….NOT TRUE…they still show up like creepy night vision attackers making ridges through my yard….oh yes I know…it kills off all the germs…NOT TRUE…people still get sick…..so when its all said and done there is no reason for it….and it even causes me to entertain thoughts of moving to Arizona (I would have to work through the snake situation) or even anywhere that its not so dang cold….

If this blast of Arctic air and Ice and show and all the yuck that goes with it is my fault…I am sorry world…I just wanted to not work on Saturday any more….so now I am stuck in the house, not able to go anywhere….and repentant of my need to sleep….I promise I will not complain again(fingers crossed, I don’t want to lie) but I really will try…..because this is not fun…..I like working, there I said it and with any luck I will continue to work and be successful and become whomever God wants me to become….its not too late!  Who would have thought that working for Kroger would be fun, I have a legacy there, I was a courtesy clerk thirty plus(ugh) years ago and my sister has worked for them for 36 years, she is a great employee and has been a success, my own Mom retired from her last job there….she ruled the joint!

I have found that I enjoy the process, the ups and downs and the figuring things out….it is comforting to be helping and to have a purpose: I have not left behind my other loves…I love to write, as meager as it is….and I love to paint and I will eventually get into a grove and find time to do it all….but until then I will work and live this new chapter of my life.

I do still write in my head and paint in my head and there will be a day I find the time to allow it to come out, I need time to let it….Summer will help, summer always helps, spring even gets me better…fall is beautiful but a bummer, its a glass half empty and you know whats on the way!

I will attempt to stop complaining about the hours and choose to be thankful for the opportunity. Maybe since today is the start of LENT I can give up complaining….hopefully God won’t really take me seriously since I am not of that persuasion that abides by LENT, not that we are against it its just not a tenement of our faith…but it never hurts to step back and consider the objectives and re group and change a bit….maybe it will keep me out of a jam…between a rock and a hard place!