There’s always a silver lining

No, really. Right? I mean, there is, isn’t there?

Here are my verbal thoughts on the subject for your aural pleasure:

I admit it. I’m a card-carrying positive guy. It takes quite a bit to get me down. 

But being disqualified Friday night for going over 5 seconds for my talk? Ouch. That hurt. 

It wasn’t that I wanted the trophy. I wanted what comes after winning: the bigger stages. 

Silver Lining — A Hunt for the Fabric

Is the silver lining in the clouds? Maybe it’s closer to home. Maybe it’s in the fabric store.

That’s a little Desperation Humor as I’m joking with myself as I write this as, at this moment, I can’t imagine a silver lining (whether in clouds or at the fabric warehouse).

OK, I found one.

The European Championships are to be held in Marseille, France. While that sounds appealing at first, let’s have a look at the dates: May 10, 11, and 12.

Oops.

May 11 is when my nieces graduate high school. I’m going. Flying there even. It’s 5,203 miles away. I’m not going to miss it.

So, had I not been disqualified, I would have a bigger, badder, more “important” choice to make:

1. The European Championships
2. Nieces’ graduation

Let’s see, how often do the European Championships take place? Annually.

How often do my nieces graduate? Once in their lifetimes.

I also already said I’d go. My mom, sister, nieces, and cousin are expecting me.

Had it come down to the decision in May, I still would have chosen to go to the graduation. But it would have been painful. Much more painful.

We’re no longer talking silver lining, we’re talking bandages. Blood. Pain.

So I’ve avoided that.

There. I did it. I found a silver lining.

Postscript: after the speech Friday, I was also invited to speak at two upcoming events. BOOM. Just like that. More silver. More lining.

Somewhere in between the fabric shop and the clouds.

Photo by MUILLU on Unsplash