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SURPRISE

Sunday June 3, 2018

The thing about surprise is that it is surprising.

I don’t mean the anticipated thing – the call you are waiting for, the decision you are waiting for, the rubber stamp or approval of something; because those are ‘hoped for certainties’ with an uncertain timeline.

I’m talking about surprises – like the unanswered phone call, the message not retrieved because ‘we know what it is about’ when it turns out to be something different altogether. Surprise!

Or when we have a hand reach out in a crowd – someone we didn’t know wanted to know us, impacted us, changed our life in some way. Surprise!

When we least expected it, the least expected thing happened. Surprise!

Life is so full of predictability, planning and routines – and many little unexpected things of no consequence to us personally – like headline news from other countries, other societies or other industries – interesting, but not a surprise of the capital letter variety.

Sometimes it’s a thank you, a card or something sweet to eat – a complete surprise that it happened and a bigger one in terms of how it felt. Surprise!

So ahead, don’t pay attention or anticipate – you’re going to have a better chance at being surprised. Some surprises are fantastic steps into euphoria, some are worm-holes to darkness, but there is one thing certain about real surprises, they are unforgettable. Sometimes laugh lines, sometimes heartache, sometimes both.

Surprise!

Reader feedback:

THEN AND NOW

None Given that I have to work till I die, yes I fall in that category of having to continue to strive yet being well into my sixties, having these musing to help keep me motivated, is very appreciated.  Enjoy these daily offerings. Keep up the great work. Cheers, HA, Calgary, AB

Whoa. What is this retirement thing? I'm 74 years old and still broadcasting the World professional Chuckwagon Races each week on Sirius XM Radio - Channel 147 Rural radio on satellite. I have an audience of more than 250,00 listeners every night across all of North America - Mexico to Alaska, California to Newfoundland. No time to retire, with interviews and scripts and production meetings and travel arrangements to keep me busy each day. No time to slow down until we rid ourselves of the negative climate infected by the animal rights activists. Supreme hypocrites who don't mind killing mosquitos with their car windshields or running over road dashing gophers and skunks, but God Help Us if a horse has a heart attack on a race track. What's that we say about size matters. Well there is a perfect example of size matters. I will  go to my grave defying stupidity, no matter how long it takes to balance this message machine. Sports-cerely, AJ, Calgary, AB


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