Lemonade out of lemons

I'm trying not to let little annoyances totally piss me off any more. It's difficult for me. I have a tendency towards negativity and I am also easily riled up. However, I've decided that I really don't want to be that person any more.

Friday morning, my husband informed me that our all-in-one printer was jammed. I was on the exercise bike. I really hate being interrupted while I'm exercising. But, I calmly asked if he needed me to fix it at that very moment. He said 'no', so I asked him to please leave me a note so I would remember to look at it after I was done on the bike. Score "1" for me for not snapping at him like I normally would have for the interruption. (Yes, I really am normally THAT grouchy.)

After I finished my exercise session, I went to take a look at the printer. I had assumed that it was a simple thing. It was not. I could feel the irritation rise in me when I came to that realization. In order to clear the jam, I had to open the rear of the printer which still had the original packing tape on it for over a year ago. But, I took a deep breath and decided to look at the event as a challenge to solve. I was able to take the back off the printer, clear the jam, and get the printer back together without getting annoyed. In the end, I decided that the event was a learning opportunity. I now understand more about how my printer works.

On Saturday, I discovered a great web site to order printer ink from. Laser Monks sell new and refilled cartridges for less than almost anyone else. Plus, the profits go to support the monastery and a few select other charities. So, I ordered four cartridges.

Later in the afternoon I discovered that my printer really wasn't fixed. Every time I tried to print, it would jam again. We purchased the all-in-one printer about eighteen months ago. It was well out of warranty. Plus, I have about four color ink cartridges for it and the four I just ordered. I didn't want the investment in cartridges to go to waste. So, I either wanted the same model printer or another one that used the same cartridges.

I shopped around off-and-on for the rest of the afternoon. Eventually, I stumbled on an all-in-one printer that not only uses the same printer cartridges but has the ability to etch labels directly on to some CDs and DVDs. I had bemoaned the lack of that feature when I made some mix CDs for some friends before the holidays. Plus, I managed to find the printer at a pretty good price from a vendor who I had a $10 coupon for.

Not every potential frustration can be turned around this way. However, I am hopeful that I can truly reduce the negativity in my life a bit at a time.

Ordinary miracles

I have attended a Unitarian Universalist church for about six years now. Their focus is on community and spirituality, and not dogma. This proved to be the best spiritual home for an agnostic looking to bring community and spirituality to her child.

That said, I have a lot of anti-Christian baggage. Mind you, I have nothing against Christian beliefs. At the core, the teachings are very akin to how I think the world should work. However, traditional organized Christian institutions rub me like sand paper, particularly evangelical churches.

I have attended several Christmas and Easter-themed services at my church over the years. Our services have a tendency to deal with these holidays with a broad brush. This evening's Christmas Eve ceremony was no different. Tonight the them was what I'll refer to as 'ordinary miracles'. The point being that we are all called on to make today the first day of a new, better, world. We are all usually too caught up in our own lives to hear the angels calling to us. For many UU's these 'angels' are metaphorical.

The message boils down to this: "Experience the world. Look for opportunities to see love and miracles. Spread the word, literally or through your own actions, that love and understanding are ordinary miracles we can all experience and create."

When I came home, I read a story on Yahoo News about an ordinary miracle. A soldier adopted an Iraqi child with cerebral palsy. This one really pulls at your heart strings. Combine this story with the story of the war dog adopted by a fallen Marine's family and you can really begin to appreciate the love that ordinary people are capable of.

Do I have issues with our presence in Iraq? YUP. Do I think we need to change course? YUP. Do I think that a horrible situation has given ordinary people the opportunity to display extraordinary courage and love for their fellow man? YUP.

Every day, hundreds of horrible things happen in Iraq. We all need to continue to pressure our government to find a way out for us, and hopefully for the Iraqi people. However, I think we all need to soak up these stories of ordinary miracles to remind us of how good humans can be. I think we certainly get enough reminders on a daily basis of the negative side of humanity. If people in such horrific conditions can find the strength and where-with-all to perform compassionate acts, maybe there is hope for the human race after all.