By Staff
Monday was one of those days! You know, one of those days when everything seems to go wrong, you flub, have glitches and stumble a lot?
Problems started the moment I got out of bed at 5 a.m.
I needed to be in my classroom on the Niles campus (SMC) at 7:30 and everything seemed to be running in slow motion.
My umbrella was in the car, so I got a second shower of the morning retrieving my bumbershoot. Then the first pot of coffee didn't brew correctly. My granddaughter, whom I drop off at the daycare on my way to Niles, was in slow motion, as well.
The second pot of coffee brewed better; I poured some into my travel mug, leaving most of the brew for my wife.
All the way to Niles I thought about getting another cup of java.
As usual, I was the first car in the parking lot. It was still raining. With the car door open, the umbrella sprang to life when I pushed the auto trigger.
I moved to the back gate of the Jeep to get my book bag.
As I opened the tailgate, water poured onto the front of my dress pants, presenting that dreaded incontinent look!
Well, at least I could get coffee from the machine – that should compensate for wet pants. Wrong!
"Out of Service!" Shoot (actually, I said a word worse than that)! I entered my classroom without any caffeine and interacted with my students who were still asleep. I don't think any of them noticed my wet pants.
Well, not to worry, I would get back in the car, open a protein bar and cruise to the Dowagiac campus to teach my next psychology class.
Wrong! I'd forgotten the protein bar. Not to worry, I would get a cup of coffee from the vending machine once I got to campus.
For the first time this semester, my classroom door was locked! I don't have a key, yet.
Fortunately, I found Ernie, who has keys and a lot of patience.
Once that problem was settled and students flooded into the room, I went to the lobby and put my dollar bill into the vending machine, pressed the buttons and out came the coffee into the paper cup. Half a cup of coffee, that is!
Then I discovered that my trousers were still wet! Rats!
This class was more awake than the last one but they were kind enough not to comment about my wet pants – probably because they thought any comment would embarrass me (guess they don't know me very well).
After class I had to stop at the post office on my way back to my office.
I was in a hurry – a client was waiting for me.
Getting in and out of the car with the umbrella, negotiating doors and trying not to run anyone down on my walk from curb to the post office door, I still had wet pants.
Then it happened!
A most angelic-looking lady smiled and said, "You're Don Ludman? The guy who writes the Front Porch column?"
The smile broke through the clouds. Her eyes sparkled. Her face glowed. She thanked me for an experience I shared in my column that brought some joy into her life.
Then she told me a story about a recent experience she had in a hospital emergency room when she befriended an abused mother.
The young woman had one of those a-ha moments and saw clearly what she needed to do.
As she thanked her new friend, my friend's problem that had prompted her emergency room visit abated. Listening to this story lifted my spirits. My gloom passed. My trousers dried. The rain seemed to stop. And later the sun actually broke through the cloud cover.
I was late for my appointment; however, my client was a few minutes late, too, so all ended well. My day shifted gears and it was smooth sailing from then on. Thanks, Marilyn, for being an angel of mercy. You brightened my day!