It had been a long time since I ventured out to an event with my family. I did not realize I had formed a habit of first thinking of all the possible obstacles before considering the fun. In fact, over time I no longer considered the fun at all. With all of the recent media attention on being happy, I began to look for ways to find small moments of happiness to replace the larger bursts that I felt I could no longer participate in.
Going to a ballpark did not fall into my idea of a small moment of happiness. That would be a pretty huge moment for me. It would take a huge draw to get me there, something more than just the free tickets provided through my husband’s work.
In my previous life I spent more than 20 years in some aspect of real estate. I am fascinated with buildings. When the new BB&T Ballpark opened in uptown Charlotte, the big draw for me was not the Charlotte Knights. It was the spectacular view of the city buildings from the ballpark. I longed to take photos of the city skyline over the period of a baseball game. I dreamt of the changing light and the beauty that each moment would bring.
Going to a ballpark did not fall into my idea of a small moment of happiness. That would be a pretty huge moment for me. It would take a huge draw to get me there, something more than just the free tickets provided through my husband’s work.
In my previous life I spent more than 20 years in some aspect of real estate. I am fascinated with buildings. When the new BB&T Ballpark opened in uptown Charlotte, the big draw for me was not the Charlotte Knights. It was the spectacular view of the city buildings from the ballpark. I longed to take photos of the city skyline over the period of a baseball game. I dreamt of the changing light and the beauty that each moment would bring.
Upon my arrival I soon realized there were more opportunities for small moments of happiness that could feed my soul for a long time. I am just a big kid at heart. If a group of small children are excited over something, chances are I am too. Therefore, when Homer made his appearance my heart leapt with joy. Who would not want to see this guy stand on his head and dance upside down?
Another family activity that provides a small burst of happiness each week is watching the WWE. My husband refers to it as the soap opera for men. My daughter loves to hate the bad guys. She vehemently cheers against them. I find the whole thing incredibly hysterical. When I heard the announcement that Tito Santana was the guest at the ballgame, I was thrilled. I had no idea that there would be a photo op with a WWE Hall of Fame wrestler at this game. I jumped at the chance to get this picture so that my fellow WWE following Facebook friends would be impressed and jealous. Not only were they impressed, but the picture brought out some closet WWE fans as well.
Another family activity that provides a small burst of happiness each week is watching the WWE. My husband refers to it as the soap opera for men. My daughter loves to hate the bad guys. She vehemently cheers against them. I find the whole thing incredibly hysterical. When I heard the announcement that Tito Santana was the guest at the ballgame, I was thrilled. I had no idea that there would be a photo op with a WWE Hall of Fame wrestler at this game. I jumped at the chance to get this picture so that my fellow WWE following Facebook friends would be impressed and jealous. Not only were they impressed, but the picture brought out some closet WWE fans as well.
The most exciting of all unexpected events was the ball toss giveaway. My daughter loves a challenge and winning things. As soon as she realized the ball toss was taking place in our section of seating, she was up and jumping to get the attendants attention. She was determined to get a ball. There is nothing more enjoyable than seeing the proud excitement of my daughter achieving her goal. By far this was the best moment of the night.
It was the known opportunity to get pictures of the Charlotte skyline that led me to be willing to venture into the unknown obstacles of a new ballpark. It was all of the small unexpected treasures that happened along the way that made the compromise to my body worth every single moment of it. The lesson learned was that in my consideration for the negative possibilities of venturing into the world with family and friends, I was missing out on the unknown positive possibilities.
It was the known opportunity to get pictures of the Charlotte skyline that led me to be willing to venture into the unknown obstacles of a new ballpark. It was all of the small unexpected treasures that happened along the way that made the compromise to my body worth every single moment of it. The lesson learned was that in my consideration for the negative possibilities of venturing into the world with family and friends, I was missing out on the unknown positive possibilities.
I had no way of knowing that Homer would stand on his head, Tito Santana would take a picture with me, my daughter would win the ball toss, or even that hot dogs would be only $1 that night. Possibilities are endless, be they good or bad. In avoiding the bad, I have missed out on a lot of good. In the future my consideration of the unknown will include both realms of possibilities.