[dtw]

I think a lot of it boils down to perspective. Perfect example tonight:

I'm coming into town on worst possible conditions on the Interstate. Rain, setting sun, construction, Friday evening traffic, and disabled vehicles and wrecks seemingly every quarter mile. Just an absolute mess. I joined the ranks of disabled vehicles with a flat tire and no compressor for my collapsible spare. Ooops. I must have missed that in the PPI (that I did myself, nobody to blame but me).

So there I am, wearing my blue suit and new shoes getting soaked, when a good friend happens to pass by, and sees me on the side of the road. He calls me up, then offers to loop around and pick me up to take me to fill up my spare tire with air, then comes back to hold my flashlight as the sun is now fully set upon our return.

I had been on the way into town to catch dinner and a movie with my family. Missed dinner, but comfortably made the movie (non-refundable tickets for Star Wars @ IMAX). After the movie, we stopped at a place up the street and my folks bought me dinner as I was really hungry by that point.

When the evening was over (just about 5 minutes before reading this thread), I mentioned what a great night it had been. Another person said yeah, except having it ruined by the rotten luck/timing with that tire. I said oh, I was thinking just the opposite - how lucky it was that it happened while my daughter was not in the car, and that my friend happened along and totally saved my evening.

Glass half full, glass half empty - seems like sometimes it just depends on how you choose to see yourself and your circumstances.