Case in point: Parking Karma. I always try to pass up the best parking spot in the lot with the idea that when I really, really need a good spot, the universe will provide for me. And it totally works. Also, I give the homeless guy at Tim Hortons a buck every time I see him, and I smile and ask how he is doing, and he is very smiley and polite and wishes me a nice day, and so far I am not homeless. The only problem with this theory of Divine Benevolence is that I cannot figure out why I haven't wont the lottery yet.
Last Friday I did the hair of a complete whackjob. She was indecisive, insecure and sucked up all the oxygen in the room. She was exhausting. To make a long, long story short, we discussed (at length) what she wanted done with her hair, I did what I thought we had agreed on, and somewhere between the stylist's chair (where she had it cut) and coming back to the colour room to see me, she decided that it wasn't what she wanted at all. (We call this "Paint Chip Syndrome": "I know that's what I asked for, but I didn't realize it would look like this".) I offered to re-do it for her on Wednesday, the next day I was available, and she reluctantly agreed. She called the next day, Saturday, crying and carrying on that her hair was now too short, too, and that she hadn't slept all night and her weekend was ruined and what were we going to do about it. Barb, The Best Receptionist In All The Land, replied that we were going to do her hair on Wednesday, and to get over herself. (Well, she didn't say that last bit, but it was implied.) I was dreading Wednesday.
Now, yesterday, as I offered Thing 1 a ride to school, and said I'd pick up the girl she usually walks with, too. As we set out for the high school, I passed one of Thing 2's friends on the side of the road; his 8 year-old sister had fallen off her bike, she was bleeding and crying and he looked like he was doing his damndest not to burst into tears himself. I stopped the car, brought out the kleenex and put her bike into my van and told the brother to go on his way, I'd take care of everything. (The brother thanked me and after a pause, said in a shakey voice "you're not going to tell my mom I wasn't wearing my helmet, are you?") After I brought Thing 1 and her friend to school, I got the little one squared away, told her teacher what had happened and went home to wake up Thing 2, (who had inadvertently got a half hour to sleep in, because I was so late.)
And today I got a phone call from Barb, to tell me that The Crazy Client Who Haunted My
Dreams had decided that her hair wasn't as dark as she thought, and she was cancelling her appointment with me to fix it. I nearly wept with gratitude.
And my belief in a benevolent universe continues. Now, where can I find someone to help me win the lottery? And get Karma Chameleon out of my head.
1 comment:
i love karma and have for much longer than "earl" has been around.
I would add to your list "let karma" which happens specifically in squash. If you call a "let" its kinda like a "do over" if you are in a position to kill your opponent by making a legal shot for instance. But if you call a "let" when you were probably NEVER going to get to the ball int he first place, its striking how often you EAT the next point and possibly the ball!
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