Every Situation is a Good One

Have you ever had one of those days where you just wanted to punch a baby, kick a puppy, or kill a kitten? What? You haven't? Neither have I.

You see, how you feel during a certain day all has to do with your perception on what is good or bad. For example, you're sitting on the bus, whether it be a school or a public transportation one. Your breath is feeling a little rank so you break out your slightly beat up pack of gum. This gum has lasted you for a long time, long enough that the piece that you are reaching for and going to chew is the second to last one. You're about to put the pack away when the stranger next to you asks if they could have a piece. They seem nice enough, well-dressed and perfectly groomed. You oblige and give them your last piece of gum, you can always buy more later, right? They take the gum and pop it into their seemingly cultured mouth. And there you guys are, two gum buddies just a chewing away as you wait for your stop. Your stop comes up and you get up to leave, bidding your gum buddy farewell. As you step off the bus, your nose starts to tickle and you can't stop what comes next. A sneeze. A sneeze so powerful that it blows your gum right out of your mouth and onto the ground. Tough luck, right? Now your breath is slowly turning back into the disgusting smell you had previously tried to get rid of. But just think, you helped a stranger avoid the same predicament that you are now spiraling back to.

Another example, you are at the store, picking up some more gum. You pay for your purchase and make your exit. You start walking down the sidewalk until you come to a crosswalk with the WALK light lit up. You look across the way and see your bus buddy from before standing across the street. You keep walking and he sees you and smiles. He is still standing there, and you wonder why. You figure it out in the next 1.8 seconds. A car clips one of your legs, whichever one you were about to take another step with. You fall to the ground, writhing in pain. Turns outs that DON'T WALK had appeared while you were attempting to cross the street. Your leg is sticking out in an awkward position, obviously broken. The people on your side of the crosswalk drag you back to the sidewalk to prevent anymore harm from coming to you. Your eyes go to your gum buddy, still standing on the sidewalk. He's in hysterics now, laughing as if he was at some hilarious comedian's show. He's laughing at you and your broken leg. You go to the hospital and are eventually released. Your leg will never fully heal. You'll always have a limp on that side and even small steps will cause you pain. But remember, today was a good day! You made someone laugh. Even if they deserved to have their own feet lopped off and then force fed to them. Now your gum buddy has a great story to tell his golf buddies down at the country club. Good, right?

It's actually why, months later, when your leg has healed and you can now walk with the help of a cane, that you find your gum buddy get a "Thank you" from him. You made his day twice, why shouldn't he thank you? It's with this mindset that you find where he lives. You enter through a window on the first floor that he keeps open, thinking the screen will keep intruders out. You limp up the stairs and find his bedroom and approach his bed where he sleeps peacefully. Gum buddy wakes up and screams as he sees you. You smile and point your handgun at him, pulling the trigger and waking up everyone else in the house. Minutes, maybe hours, maybe even weeks go by. You don't remember until you're sitting in a lonely jail cell, Solitary Confinement. Tears drip down your face as you remember what you did, you took a man's life as a thank-you and will spend the rest of your life in that small room. But remember! This is a good thing! Free food and lodging.

I guess what I'm trying to say is there is a silver lining to everything.