mental

For example, a few days ago, at a nice little bakery near Byron Bay, I ordered an iced latte and stepped to the side to wait, I was one of only a two or three people in line. A few moments later everyone else has their drinks, and a gentleman walks up to the counter with his wife and his dog.

It’s a cute dog, it’s a beautiful lady, it’s a handsome man.

Wait, that’s not a handsome man.

That’s a handsome Chris Hemsworth.

It occurs to me that this man is, in fact, the god of thunder, the cute dumb possessed one from ghostbusters, the huntsman from that one Snow White remake with Bella from twilight. Yes, that is Chris Hemsworth.

Now, I’m torn because while the counter staff are (understandably) fawning over the celebrity who they seem to have encountered a few times before, my iced latte has been forgotten. I’m standing to the side, two feet from Chris Hemsworth trying to decide wether to focus on him, or his dog.

His back is to me, he has a very cute dog.

I focus on the dog.

A while passes and Chris and his dog and his wife start to leave, and then they’re walking away which is fine. A lady behind the counter looks at me.

“You had the latte?” She says, grabbing the milk jug from under the steamer.

“Iced latte.” Her coworker corrects her, pouring my drink, “I’ve got it.”

He looks to me, “sorry for the wait, we were a bit disracted.”

“Yeah, I get it,” I say, “that was a really cute dog.”

They stare at me.

They think I’m serious.

I look like a fool.

“I’m kidding.” I say finally and they both laugh as he hands me my beverage, after fifteen minutes of waiting.

I wasn’t mad that I had to wait.

I get it.

But now, a few days later, a gif crosses my dash, one of Chris Hemsworth; a blooper from Thor: Ragnarok.

Before now I’d think “wow what an attractive man. Beautiful. Stunning.”

Now all I can think is “that man made me wait fifteen minutes for a latte.”

It’s fine.

I got my drink.

I put on my sunglasses, to hide my swollen eyes, over my tears. I cried all my makeup off. Went inside to have a milkshake. I don’t know why. I wanted something to drink as I figured out what I would do. I got a soda and a milkshake. Medium. The cashier looked at me and with a line around the corner of the counter he rushed away from the counter “Hold on “ he yelled to a coworker.

I filled my soda and went back and saw him looking all over. I go up and he gets close and says “I made it a large”.

That was seriously enough for me not to do it. His kindness. Someone went out of their way and as I went back in my car to cry I realized I could muster through a few other days. A few more weeks. Then I came down from that panicky high of anxiety, depression, and pain. I finished my shake. And it was enough time to let me feel better. I… I’m alive. I’ll make it through.

Try and be nice today. Tomorrow. Something as much as a smile. It helped so much.

Thank you man at McDonalds.

B - billion