Near Deer Experience

September 9th, 2019

2:28 am. I just almost died.

Okay, that’s dramatic. But I did just almost hit a deer on the way home. And not just any deer; the most beautiful, haunting fawn I have ever seen. It had fallen behind its mother, and I saw its pale figure as I was screeching to a dead ass stop in the middle of County Rd. 42.

The deer are okay. I’m okay. But as I was wide-eyed praying to not kill this baby Bambi, my brain thought: “I wish I had done more nice things today.”

And since I don’t want any of you to have similar regrets if you find yourself in life-threatening peril today, I made a list of eight nice things you can do on this Manic Monday.

1. Pay someone a compliment. But make it a compliment that is really particular to that person and wouldn’t mean the same to anyone else.
2. You know that “thank you” you were meaning to write or thing of gratitude you were wanting to say? Write or say it today!
3. Do a chore you really hate. Better yet, do someone else’s chore. For bonus points, don’t tell them you did it and have them mystified over the greatness of the universe.
4. Give a moment of your time and undivided attention to love a dog or cat or guinea pig (or someone else’s dog or cat or guinea pig).
5. Put someone on positive blast on your social media today. Whether it’s your lifelong friend you just want to gush about, or a shout out to your pal who runs a business, or a nice review of something you love, make it public.
6. Send a text or message to someone you haven’t spoken to in a while to see how they’re doing. Use this post as your excuse. I can take the heat.
7. Give someone a high five or hug that makes them say, “Whoa.”
8. Look yourself in the eyes — in the mirror, in your phone’s camera, in the ocean if that’s a thing you have by you — and tell yourself how much you love you, how amazing it is that you exist and how insanely incredible this life is.

You can do one of these things, or all eight, or one of them eight times or really just treat this list as a buffet. Add your own things. Subtract the ones you can’t or don’t want to do.

Happy Monday, everybody.

Keep your head up and eyes open on these roads.