I’m leaning back in my chair as I type this post.
As unremarkable as this may seem to you, it is noteworthy.
You see, I’ve had a wireless keyboard for over a year, but this is the first time that I’m using it away from its normal location in front of my monitor.
Sometimes we are blind to the obvious.
As a young man, shaving hadn’t yet turned into a daily chore, but it was a dangerous routine. I’d get to the Adam’s apple and snip, off would come a bit of skin. Ouch!
I did this each time I shaved until a co-worker asked me why I kept cutting myself. He showed me how I should use my left hand to slide the skin away from my Adam’s apple and then shave that spot.
He changed my life.
The first time that I rented a rowboat, I was having a hard time making it go anywhere. Rowing, it seemed, was much harder than I thought. Each time I looked, I could see that I had drifted farther from the shore.
I struggled until a good Samaritan in a passing boat called out to me.
“Turn around, Ass-hole!”
Who knew that the pointed end of the boat should be behind you?
He saved my life.
Author Bio:
Ray Colon has written 136 posts on Ray's Blog.
He works with numbers for a living, but don't judge - boring accountants need love too. His blog has no niche (unless writing about things that are important to him is a niche). Some folks cringe when he gets “all political” on them, but he does it anyway when he's in that kind of mood. Sometimes, he writes something nice about someone, but you shouldn't get used to that. His first book, the one he hasn't written yet, is not available on Amazon. Subscribe to Ray's Blog via RSS or Email.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
This is a thought provoking post. I love how the little things made such a difference for you. I struggled to come up with my own examples even though I know I’ve had many life changing ah-hah moments.
My husband talked me into allowing him to get a duel monitor system for our computer. He laughs at me for being so opposed to it but I love it now.
I grew up in a family that is afraid of technology. I went to college not knowing how to use a dishwasher. It didn’t take long before I realized that was easier than handwashing my dishes.
I was in a car accident and got the worst of the injuries. My back was broken as well as my humorous. Breaking that bone in my arm was not nearly as funny as you would think! I know. Bad joke. Anyway, I will never forget the day I was able to put on a pair of denim shorts all on my own. Try zipping up and buttoning your pants with one hand. That was a triumphant day!
I also appreciate the little things that have changed my life as your experiences changed your life. Good post.
Hi Tristan,
I know what you mean about struggling to come up with examples. I know that there are many more that I could have added, but as I wrote this post, they just didn’t come to mind.
The first time I saw the dual monitors was about 4 1/2 years ago when I started my current job. Every workstation was equipped with them. It took a little getting used to, but I soon became a real fan of set-up.
Wow, you’ve described a pretty serious accident. I’ve never gone through something like that, but I can imagine how difficult it must have been to do those “simple” things — especially with multiple injuries. Hopefully, you’ve had a complete recovery. Ray
No worries. The accident happened when I was 18. I recovered quickly and the only lasting problems are that my left arm is bigger than my right from the scar tissue. I have a scar on my left shoulder from the two surgeries – one to put a metal rod in my bone and one to remove it a little over a year later. I framed the rod! My back is fine, amazingly enough. I wore a back brace that summer. The only time it ever hurt after that was with all 3 pregnancies. The weight of the baby in front put extra strain on my back but most pregnant women complain about back pain. And yes, the little things were amazing that summer. I wasn’t as good with doing my shoulder physical therapy after a while but doing my own hair worked well enough. And dressing myself in real clothes for a date with a friend was pretty huge to me.