Pizza for One

Over the past few weeks, I've used this blog to write about appreciating the little things, to pause enough to enjoy the moment, or the pretty weather, or the taste of a yummy pink grapefruit. But what about the little things that drive you crazy? That make you so frustrated you could scream, or crumple onto the floor crying because you're just so tired? This past weekend, for the first time in a long time, I was able to use one of these moments as a way to learn to stay calm, to just go with the flow, and find the humor in life...

On Saturday, I woke up feeling a bit sick (stupid allergies!). I had a big day of teaching and working ahead of me, so I (sadly) took some meds and mustered up enough energy to give it my all and enjoy my time spent teaching. But, but the time I got home around 6pm, I was completely exhausted, feeling sick, and ready to collapse on the couch for the evening. I was also really in the mood for pizza, so I suggested we order one. Ben had some leftover pasta that he wanted to eat (TMI?), so he said that I should just order a pizza for myself. That felt really silly to me, as I don't think I've ever ordered a "pizza for one," but I was just exhausted and hungry enough to do it. So I did. And then, while waiting for the pizza, our building fire alarm went off.

As a sidenote, let me explain that I really don't like our building, and that the fire alarm goes off almost once per month. It's basically broken, is super-loud, and often goes off in the middle of the night for hours on end. Not. Very. Relaxing. Every time it happens, I scream about how I want to move and sit around stewing about how dangerous their "boy who cried wolf fire alarm" is, as we don't even evacuate for it anymore.

So ANYWAYS, we realized after the alarm had been going off for about 30 mins and the firemen were outside (they always have to come, even though it's never anything), that the pizza guy wouldn't be able to get into the building. Sure enough, a few minutes later he called and asked me to come down and get it. Sounds like no big deal, right? Except for the fact that our building is huge, so it's actually a bit of a walk to the front, and I knew it would be an adventure with the alarms going off, the firemen in the building, and the hordes of people I could see congregating in the lobby. Ben was in the shower (couldn't ask him to get it), so even though I didn't have an ounce of energy, I thought, this pizza will be worth it and headed out, past the firemen on our floor (heard them saying, "nope, nothing here either"), and down the stairs. Of course, the elevators weren't working because of the "fire," so I had to walk down 9 flights of stairs and around the front of our building to meet him. I found the pizza delivery guy among the people milling around outside of the building (new residents who don't yet know about the false alarm issue), and headed back into the building--that's when I saw that they weren't letting people back into the building because of the "fire."

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What I looked like!!! Photo via socialitelife.com

There was a resident yelling at the front desk people, holding a bag of food and saying something about the false alarms and just wanting to go home. Because I was not wearing a jacket (and it was cold outside!), and because I was tired, sick, and holding a pizza for one, I decided to outwit the front desk and walk around to the back entrance. So I walked all the way around our big building, carrying my pizza and not wearing a jacket (trying to avert the stares), and finally got in the back entrance...only to realize that I still had to walk my tired, sick body up 9 flights of stairs, holding my pizza. I felt *slightly* like a typical American, huffing and puffing up the stairs, passing another resident or two here and there, carrying my pizza during a fire alarm and OBVIOUSLY sneaking back into the building to eat it, but I persevered. I arrived upstairs, sweaty and exhausted, and ready to tell the entire story to Ben.

After all of that, I was frustrated. I was feeling anger at our building, the management company, at myself for ordering a pizza for one--only to cause a lot more annoyance than ease, and at myself (and Ben!) for not moving the last time that the alarm went off for 3-4 hours in a row. But, I could have let it ruin my night. I could have lost it with the people at the front desk (not their fault!), at Ben, or at myself, throwing a fit and allowing this annoying incident to get the best of me. But instead, I was able to pause, think about how RIDICULOUS it was that I did all of that for a pizza, to think of how much I'd enjoy that pizza because of everything that I went through to get it, and to laugh about the sad sight of me walking all the way around the building to "sneak" back in with my pizza box. For the first time in recent memory, I actually noticed myself just letting it go, laughing at it, and moving on with enjoying the evening. It was such a nice experience! And yes, the pizza did taste AMAZING.

My challenge to you? The next time you have some small, REALLY annoying or frustrating thing happening, see if you can pause to find the humor, or ridiculousness in the situation, and just breathe through it. Notice how good it feels to NOT let it get the best of you :)

Have a wonderful Monday (and don't let the Monday blues drag you down!)!

Namaste,
Mary Catherine

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