The Deck and Wal-Mart

I spend a great deal of time looking out from my back deck. The deck is modest if compared to most other decks. It's only 10' by 10', but it overlooks a grassy field and a pond to the right. If you look out further, you can see a new elementary school with play fields sitting below a picturesque ridge. It's peaceful when the family sits out there. J and I sip pop and the kids have ice candy (freezie pops) in the evenings as we relax and gaze out. We love to set there and watch the folks that walk, run, and play beyond the grassy field. Sometimes J and I set in the dark and just enjoy the light of the moon together as we slap a few mosquitoes. I love it out there. The crappy part of the equation is that if we turn our heads hard to the left, we see the back end of the local Wal-Mart. At night sometimes we can hear the beep, beep, beep of the trucks backing into their loading docks at the Wal-Mart. We've learned to deal with it, and honestly it's not that bad-even if Wal-mart is the Satan of modern day retailers.

It's all about perspective. Where do I place my attention? Where am I focused? If I look at the pond, the grassy field, and the ridge, I'm at peace. Now, if I stare at the butt end of Wal-mart, the idea that my life is less than nice consumes me. Yeah...Walmart is there and it's not going to magically lift from its foundation and fly away. It's pretty much locked in place...Here's the beauty of that...just beyond the Wal-mart is a Dairy Queen. We are able to walk with the kids, get some ice cream and sit outside of the DQ and kick back. Without the Wal-Mart, I am sure they wouldn't have put up the DQ. So, it's all in how I think about it. I think that we'll go get some ice cream after dinner this evening.

I'm feeling grateful today. I'm a lucky man. I have everything that I need. I truly believe that. Nothing's every perfect. Things are the way they are...but that sounds perfect to me.