Disappointed and loving it.
You know what they say about the best laid plans...
Have you ever been looking forward to something so much that you’ve mentally planned out exactly how you wanted it to be…and the whole plan goes awry?
That happened to me this weekend when my husband bought us tickets to the theatre in Stratford, a theatre lover’s paradise in Southern Ontario.
We left half an hour late which was entirely my fault. But, I reasoned, it didn’t matter because the restaurant I wanted to go to for lunch was a mere few steps away from the downtown theatre.
Only, our play was at a different theatre nowhere near downtown, and we were pinched for time.
To say I was disappointed is an understatement. I’d been looking forward to reliving the ‘Stratford experience’ I enjoyed before.
But I pulled up my big-girl knickers: we would find somewhere else to eat. Somewhere else turned out to be a choice between a chain pizza place, a Circle K variety store, and a tiny bakery/cafe that closed in 45 minutes.
It was an easy decision.
There were maybe eight tables and everyone seemed to know one another. This was not a place for tourists and visitors, this tiny hole-in-the-wall cafe was where the locals gathered and it fired up my imagination. There were stories here, dozens of them. Even better, the food was good, the owner and server chatty and personable, and the baked goods were over-the-top tasty.
Still, heading back to the theatre, I admit I was sad to miss out on downtown Stratford. We found a lucky parking spot on the river and took our to-go coffees on a walk.
And guys, it was beautiful, so much better than I thought, and a wholly different side to a town I’m more than half in love with.
A blue crane, the beginnings of autumn leaves reflected on the water, and benches situated in hidey-holes along the shore all enchanted me.
But those benches, they got to me.
What conversations had taken place there?
How much laughter had they heard?
How many tears were cried?
How many souls had they offered a bit of peace and solace?
In a world so often spinning out of control, those benches offered a place to rest and recoup, to laugh and cry, to spend time with your loved one, or spend time missing them as so many were dedicated to the memory of those lost.
Any leftover disappointment dissipated.
Because I was there, my hand tucked into my husband’s, and really, that’s all that mattered.
By the way, the play was wonderful.
Next time we go, I dare say I won’t care which theatre we end up at. And if things go awry once more?
I’ll simply embrace the disappointment.
Spotlight On: Abby Kingston!
All I want is a normal life. A life where my mom isn’t dead. A life where my dad isn’t endlessly running. A chance to stop being the new girl.
But all of that changes when they show up and rip me from death’s clutches.
Sam, the boy with the intense and familiar eyes. Daniel, the tattooed warrior. Al, the playful surfer. Seth, the sexy-as-sin fashion king. Leo, the sweet tech-geek. And Ramiel, the dark enigma.
With them, life is anything but normal. Their house is a mansion. They shower me with gifts. They’re seriously over-protective. And I’m the only girl they have eyes for. But for the first time, I think I might actually belong.
Until a demon tries to kill me, and I realise everything is not as it seems.
My guys are keeping secrets. Ones that will tear my world apart. And when the ultimate evil finally catches up with me, the truth is so much worse than I can imagine, and they’ll stop at nothing to keep me alive…
News!
Amazon Australia granted me a $1.49 Kindle Deal for October for A Lifetime Of Afters. I’ve dropped the price everywhere I can in hopes Amazon will price match in Canada and the US. You can find A Lifetime Of Afters for $1.49 at all other retailers at www.books2read.com/a-lifetime-of-afters
That’s it for now, and remember:
Live Messy, Love Madly❤️
Beautiful post Devin!