The Power of Positive...Peeing and Other Small Pleasures

I’ve decided to continue my positivity and not spend any time today complaining about it being a Monday and a stormy one at that.

We did, for a brief moment, lose power at work but, alas, it came back on. This is not to say that I sit at work hoping the power will go out like I did at my last job but there’s a certain level of excitement that such things add to the work day. It’s the power of the unexpected, a little ‘present’ that life throws at you.

Since our power didn’t actually go out, I missed out on today’s present. Still, it made me realize that life is full of little tiny gifts that we don’t stop and properly appreciate. Thus, in honour of my attempt to stay positive and not focus on negative things, I’ve decided that today’s blog will be a blog lauding the things that make life just a little bit better.

My first one is a little, uh, odd. Also, by some standards it’s not very ‘proper.’ It is, however, very necessary to life. I’m talking about having a very, very full bladder and being able to alleviate the problem in a timely fashion.

I told you it sounds odd. It’s also not very ladylike to discuss urination. However, if you’ve ever really, really, REALLY needed to go but you’re not close to a toilet, you might understand how finding a toilet at the very last second when you feel like your bladder is literally going to explode can feel like a gift.

Trust me on this. It’s happened to me. I’ve witnessed it happening to others. Case in point, my friend Saz and I once took a trip to Los Angeles. We decided to go explore Mulholland drive up in the hills. We got lost. About ten minutes into the drive, Saz realized she really had needed to go. Long story short, we were lost. There are no restaurants, gas stations or any places to stop and go to the loo. When it was to the point where Saz was literally in pain, we finally found a Burger King. To the day, I believe Saz holds that Burger King with fondness in her heart. For my part, I felt awful that I’d made her wait that long.

I hope Saz doesn’t mind me sharing her story in my blog. I’ve had several Mulholland Drive moments myself since then and each time, I find myself whispering “sorry, Saz,” to myself because of the torture she suffered. However, whenever you finally, FINALLY get to relieve your poor, aching bladder, it’s seriously one of the best sensations in the world. If you don’t believe me, try it sometime. It really puts your priorities in order. Nothing else matters once that seal is broken and you absolutely, positively HAVE to relieve your bladder. All you can think about is finding a toilet.

This is an odd and slightly crude thing to blog about, I know. However, I think it does illustrate my point that sometimes it’s the small things that get the most appreciation when they happen.

It’s the same with sneezing, honestly. If you need to sneeze but it won’t come out, it’s very, very irritating. You can stare at a light and try to trigger the sneeze but if it won’t come, it suddenly becomes one of the Most. Irritating. Feelings. Ever.

And then….it happens. The sneeze comes and a tiny, insignificant reaction becomes the best feeling in the world. No longer do you have that twitchy feeling in the space between your nose and eyeball. The sneeze is done, it’s out and you can go back to your life without even remembering it happened.

But it did. It’s another small thing to appreciate.

Want another one? How about spending the day surrounded by noise and chaos. In my case, it’s Thanksgiving at my parents. The day passes in a whirl of trying to get everything ready before people start arriving. When they come, my parents decent sized farmhouse becomes one of the smallest places in the world. The kids are running around, the dogs are whimpering because four young children seem to have multiplied and there is nothing but noise, trying to get the dinner on the table while trying not to step on cowering dogs and trying not to spill the gravy jug on your nieces head because she’s obliviously chattering away to you without realizing you’re doing something…else.

And then, the food is eaten, the dishes done, the people have finally left, the TV off and….

…there is quiet. Blessed quiet that can only be appreciated after hours of loud laughter, squealing, running and barking.

The quiet makes the chaos good. I like seeing my family all together but halfway through trying to figure out where everyone will sit, watching my nephew chow down on his Oscar Meyer wieners instead of the turkey that’s been cooking all day, the urge for quiet comes over me and when it finally arrives well….that’s another gift. I wouldn’t swap the chaos and confusion for the world because that in itself is a gift but that quiet…well, that’s far more unexpected and comes when it’s most needed.

Then there’s the food itself. If you’re on a diet and you’re trying to be good, treats become much more meaningful. Having one piece of chocolate after four weeks of not eating any is far more rewarding than eating five pieces every day. Splurging and eating a big slice of cheese pizza is a lovely thing to do if you haven’t had anything but Lean Cuisine pizza for a month or two.

I could go on and on. I suppose really what it comes down to is that old cliché (and Cinderella song): You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone. Whether it’s the need to relieve your bladder, the ability to sneeze, the quiet and tranquility of a calm day or whatever food item you’ve forbidden yourself, when you do finally get it back, it’s that much more special.

Thus, I think once in a while, we should acknowledge the everyday things in life and stop to appreciate how much they bring to your life without you realizing it. I’m not talking about big things like food, clothing, shelter…I’m talking about things like toilet paper, deodorant and underwear. Certainly, we could get by without them but they make our life much more pleasant with their very existence.

Sometimes, you just have to stop and think about the things in life that we take for granted because they’re part of our everyday life. We don’t think of them as gifts because they just seem so tiny. Yet, try not being able to find a toilet on a long and winding drive and you’ve had two large cokes. You’ll see what I mean.

Although I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. It does, however, make you appreciate something you don’t usually consider much.

That’s all I’m saying.

Happy Tuesday!