From Bleeding Heart to Cold, Tin Heart and then Warm, Smooshy Heart

One evening in early June, as I was getting ready for my golf lessons, there was a knock at my front door. Standing on my porch was a 20-something guy with a clipboard. Barley barked and clawed his way towards the stranger who took a few steps back when he saw the brown dog coming at him. I grabbed Barley’s collar and tried to explain to the obvious solicitor (does no one read the “No Soliciting” signs in the neighborhood?) that I was just getting ready to leave. He smiled and said he would only take 1 minute of my time. I glanced at my watch and told him he had exactly a minute. He started to explain that he played hockey at a local college and they were selling magazines to raise money to play at a tournament in Belgium. He said he only needed to sell three more subscriptions and he would have his part done. I told him I would buy one. I glanced at the selection of magazines and saw Bon Appetite. I filled out the form, handed over a check and sent the kid on his merry way. As he was leaving I asked when I should expect to get my first issue. He paused for a moment and then said, “Um, about six weeks.” He waved goodbye and walked across the street.

Yesterday had been a tough day. I had a run-in with an individual whose life goal seems to be making every person they come across totally miserable. My computer was acting up all day, making getting anything done nearly impossible. And the most fun part of the day? While on a call, I actually had a grown man utter the phrase, “Nut-uh” as he argued with me about something. NUT. UH. How can I be expected to have an intelligent conversation with someone whose strongest retort is NUT-UH?! To top it all off, my cowlick was out of control and every time I glanced in the mirror I saw this giant Flock of Seagulls nightmare. Like I said, it was a tough day.

By the time I got home from work, I had given up. I had given up on my ability to reason with crazy people, my computer, my hair – all of it. I changed into comfy clothes and took Barley for a walk. I picked up the mail on the way back and you’ll never believe what I found in my mailbox…

The first issue of Bon Appetite!

A few weeks ago I wondered about my subscription. I figured I had been a victim of a scam and swore that I would let Barley loose on the next solicitor who came to my door. I blamed myself for being so naïve and just handing over a check to some kid with a clipboard. So you can imagine my surprise when I saw the glossy cover which touted the 50th anniversary of the magazine and fifty years worth of recipes inside. Fifty years! To a girl who spends several hours a week watching the Food Network, this was exciting stuff.

More than anything, I was happy that the hockey-playing kid actually came through. I really had given up all hope of ever seeing my magazine (or any of my money) and then *poof* there it was!

As I snuggled into bed last night to read every page of the magazine, I thought about how nice it was to end my day on a happy note. I thought about the kid and wondered if he made it to Belgium and if his team won. And as I closed the last page I thought about how sometimes, when you least expect it, people who you thought had totally let you down can really surprise you.