What a super duper day. This morning after breakfast I went to a local bookstore and absolutely got lost. For over an hour I perused titles in nearly every section. I can’t tell you how much I love this–being around books, recognizing familiar titles and authors, learning new ones. I don’t even have to buy anything. That being said, I did walk away with two books (for two dollars total), one on metaphysics and one on Greek gods and heroes. Plus, I wrote down several interesting titles to possibly check out later. Ugh. There are so many books to read. An abundance. And whereas I used to be overwhelmed because I couldn’t read them all, now I figure, as one friend says, I’ll get what I need when I need it.

Or–I’ll read what I need when I need it.

This afternoon I saw my chiropractor, and he took an x-ray of my neck, which has been bothering me for months. Really, since the car accident I was in nearly two years ago. Anyway, he thought I might have degenerative disc disease or possibly a bone spur. And whereas the x-ray showed more advanced signs of wear and tear than is normal for someone my age (some degeneration, early arthritis, and mild bone spurs), there wasn’t anything majorly wrong. So that’s good. What’s even better is that from the time he mentioned that he wanted to x-ray me all the way through today’s diagnosis, I didn’t freak out and didn’t worry like I normally would. Likewise, I haven’t been freaking out about money as much lately. These are signs of progress, things that remind me, Hey, I really am changing. I’m not the person I used to be.

This evening I went to dinner and hung out with my friends Aaron and Kate. Several years ago when Aaron and Kate got married (not at the courthouse, but later in front of their friends and family), I performed the service. So sometimes I tell people the three of us are married, since I did–technically–marry them. Although I guess they didn’t marry me.

Whatever–we’re still friends.

For I don’t know how long, Aaron and Kate and their son have been posting pictures of themselves jumping into the air on their social media accounts. For just as long, I’ve thought it was the cutest thing ever and have wanted to be part of the action. Well, tonight my dream came true. See the photo above, in which Aaron, Kate, and I are suspended in midair. Talk about perfect timing. As for their stuck-to-the-ground son, as one friend online said, “An attempt was made.” I really can’t tell you how much this picture thrills me. As I told Aaron and Kate, “That’s one bucket list item down.”

After dinner, we went back to Aaron and Kate’s, and their son entertained us. Well, he entertained me and Kate, since Aaron fell asleep in their recliner. “I can’t keep my eyes open,” he said. (I currently know the feeling.) Anyway, their son chitter-chattered for over an hour, ran here and there, danced, pretended to be The Flash. Where do kids get their energy? Then for a while he and I played a game where we tossed an aluminum foil ball (okay, it was my Klondike bar wrapper) back and forth. “This is a fun game!” he said.

Kids are so easily entertained.

Recently I read a quote by Alan Watts that said, “You are under no obligation to be the same person you were five minutes ago.” I think children naturally get this idea. One minute they’re dancing, the next they’re a super hero, then they’re tossing around a piece of trash and absolutely loving it. They can go from laughing to crying and back again just like that. And yet we adults can be so rigid. I have one friend who refuses to ever dress down or be late anywhere they go because “that’s not who I am.” Well, okay. But, I’m just saying, the world wouldn’t stop spinning if you ever decided to be someone different. For me all of this means that simply because I’ve spent my past being mild mannered, a people pleaser, and easily upset over money and medical issues, doesn’t mean I have to spend my future that way. Like a child, just like that, I can decide to play a different game.