I Choose to Have a Good Attitude!

It was on our calendar back in March.

Great Big Sea – August 25^th.

When we arrived people had set chairs up at the edge of the bridge to wait for the gates to open. Our phones said 3:45- we had an hour and 15 to wait. (Waiting is hard for me- standing in line is even harder.) About 20 min. in we began to feel tiny drops falling on us. Soon it was raining full force and we ran for cover.

Five o’clock came and went, then 5:10, finally the opened the gates at 5:20. By the time we reached the stage we were in the second row. I thought “Well, I guess the wait was worth it.” As people wandered in many started going straight for the stage. That didn’t bother me because the walkway was clearly marked and for safety reasons I knew that would be kept clear. (Was I wrong!!)

At 6:30 we enjoyed the pre-pre band, a young lady from Southern California, and then waited through set up. At 7:30 we survived the pre-band and then waited through set up.

Finally at 8:40 Great Big Sea took the stage.

This was my standing view.

The walkway was completely filled in

and we could feel the crowds pushing in.

During the first song, I got hit in the head with someone's camera.
She tried to tell me it was a bottle cap!
I was nice.

During the second song, 12 people pushed their way
through us to get closer to the stage.
I was nice but feeling not so nice.

I had just managed to find a spot where I could sort of see depending on which way people were swaying.

WHEN... this lady and her friend excitedly made their way from the back and stood in front of me. She was really INTO the music, dancing and throwing her head around. That was the end of my view.

NO MORE NICE ~I was boiling.
I was thinking "We were the ones who invested the time into
getting here early - what good did it do?
(Do I sound old and cranky or what.)

THEN- the thought crossed my mind...
affirm the positive, show gratitude.
(grumble grumble - OK)
Every time we let ourselves stew in anger,
stress hormones flood our body.

Proverbs 18:21 says
"Words kill, words give life;
they're either poison or fruit—you choose."
(Message)
Another translation says
"The power of life and death are in the tongue."

I started repeating to myself ~choking on the words at first.

"I choose to have a good attitude,
I choose to have a good attitude,
I choose to have a good attitude,
I choose to have a good attitude,

It did not happen right away
but soon I was calmed down enough to enjoy the music
even if I couldn't see the musicians.

Bet you can't guess what happened ~~
after about 10 minutes the lady realized
she had left a sweatshirt in the back and left with her friend.

Each time I was tempted to be really angry or crabby
I started the chant

I choose to have a good attitude,
I choose to have a good attitude,
I choose to have a good attitude,
I choose to have a good attitude,

Each time the situation resolved itself.

While I know the results may not be what I want in every situation,
God used the experience to show me that I have a choice.

This is Sean McCann singing "England"
I'd say it was worth the trouble!!

Close to the end of the show, a very tipsy man tried to get between our chairs. I had looped and buckled my purse around them so no one could take my purse without the chairs going with it. He was not going to stop even though my purse strap was holding him back at the thighs.

I politely asked him to wait a minute so I could drop the strap.
NOPE he climbed over on to my feet, spilled his beer and he was off. Instead of being the straw that ruined the concert,
Larry and I had a good laugh.
It seemed like a scene from, Funniest Home Videos.

Bridge to Buffalo's Harbor Area


Today I learned.... I need to keep choosing

I was making salad dressing ~ a cup of olive oil, 1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar, herbs from garden etc.. Larry asked me for the potholders and as I was handing them to him..... you guessed it... everything in the jar was on the floor. I was NOT happy and not too nice.

The funny thing was I kept thinking about the concert and saying to myself ~ you can choose to have a good attitude!! Well I didn't!!!

and (remember how the people left in front of us)

About ten minutes later Dad came over and brought me flowers. (awww) He wanted 2 vases so he could split them. He picked a vase up, put the flowers in and dropped the whole thing on the floor. (Did you see it coming?)

Hmmmmm ~ lesson learned for now. Who knows how many times it will take for me to choose the right thing consistently. God built the law of attraction into the universe. Someone once said "Did you ever notice that people who complain get more of what they are complaining about?"

I'm working on it!!!

P.S. GBS is going to be in Chicago on Sept. 13