Yesterday brought me to a set of challenging events that I am very happy to say, I conquered. Here's what happened.

On my way home yesterday there was a track fire at the subway station ahead of us, so everyone was told to get out of the train and that it was going to head back to Manhattan. I was hoping to get home as quickly as possible to go for my run, but with this delay, I wasn't too sure if that was going to happen.

We were all suck in Long Island City, which, if you don't know, it a warehouse neighborhood, so not the most well populated of areas. It's also rather far from where I live. Thankfully it was still light out, so I wasn't too concerned. The tolken booth clerk however wasn't in the best shape. I tried asking for a bus map (FYI: whenever you are lost in a borough, don't ask for a train map, always ask for a bus map b/c it will give you a map of the borough you're in- as well as the subway stops). The clerk was in assumption mode since there was a mob of people behind me that were pushing to get a transit pass so they can get a free transfer to the nearest subway station. He had yelled at me before I was able to tell him I didn't want a transfer, but that I wanted a map. I even used the book I had in my hand and wrote "I just want a bus map", which he glanced at, but didn't respond to. It wasn't until he let several people bypass me that I yelled at him in the booth "I DON'T WANT A TRANSFER, I JUST WANT A BUS MAP!", he didn't bother looking up at me, just gave me my map and I headed out of the station.

While I was looking @ the map, I followed it, got lost of a second, then got my bearings. During which I actually fell on to my side (there was a rather large hole in the sidewalk), but someone helped me up. Did I mention I was wearing white pants? So here I am walking in this desolate neighborhood to the bus that will take me straight to my neighborhood, and as I was getting witin eyeshot, I saw my bus leave. I wasn't going to run through that traffic because I value my life (it meant having to run pass the entrance ramp to a highway- not happening). So I decided to take my time crossing so I wouldn't get killed and just head to the bus stop.

When I finally got on the bus, it was after 7PM. I knew that the bus would take about an hour to take me home. So I slept. By the time I came to, it was after 8 and I was losing sunlight, which wasn't a good thing bc I really wanted to go running @ the track, and since it's the summer, the lights aren't on @ the track at night, which means running in the dark; alone.

Oh, and did I mention my period started that day, and yeah, I was wearing white???

Now with all of this, you would figure I'd be pissed right? You might not believe this, but I was laughing about it the entire way through. Even the fall with my white pants that were just washed. I wasn't angry. About the only thing that got me annoyed was the token booth clerk issue, but otherwise, I was smiling and laughing. I wasn't forcing myself to do it either. I just saw the humor in the situation. And despite the fact that it was dark, I went running anyway, and had a good run too. It ended a bit later than I hoped, but I was still able to get the more important stuff done.

It really dawned on me this morning on my way to work however, how much of an achievement that was for me to not get angry, but instead be not only calm, but even enjoying the situation. I wasn't on any drugs, I didn't have anyone with me, I wasn't even on my cell with anyone at all. It was just me, working on getting from point A to point B. There's a lot of power in that, and I'm happy to say, I was able to get through it with a smile and a laugh (rather than pulling my hair out).

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