Tammi's World

How 'Bout Some Good News!!

Looking back over my posts from yesterday and the two posted earlier this morning I realize I need to lighten this up a bit. Holy Cow!! I'm actually in a pretty damn good mood this morning, considering it, 5:30 and I've had 4 hours sleep and 3 cups of coffee!!!

I didn't mention that yesterday actually turned out to be an incredible day, filled with forgiveness, irony and smiles.

I have a new customer that has been somewhat neglected lately. OK, maybe somewhat is not a strong enough word, but it gets the point across. There have been some issues getting his account set up and getting product to his showroom. Yeah, pretty much it hasn't happened. That's right - the guy's got an empty store. Things have finally been straightened out and I'm meeting with him today to get his order placed and he will be up and running next week. This store will feature my product and should do a good clip of business. He was not in the least bit angry at the delay. He was pleasant and humorous. I kept trying to apologize for the delay and he just laughed. Not a cynical laugh, a genuine, heartfelt chuckle. He wouldn't accept my apology, said it was completely unnecessary. WOW. I don't hear that every day.

I called a friend I hadn't spoken to for a while. We had a chance to catch up and talk about her brillant and talented son. He wrote a movie. Yeah. And they filmed it this winter in New Orleans - he directed it. He also worked on the rewrites for the movie coming out Son of the Mask (the sequel to The Mask). We are very proud of him. We must have spent half the conversation discussing the premier and what we're going to wear. (OK, the what we're wearing thing was my contribution to the conversation.) No sooner did we hang up than she called me back. I could hear the excitement in her voice and figured we finally had a date for the launch of this film. No...still waiting, but she did hear from Rob. Seems he fell into a bit of money. Yeah. He went into one of the movie studios and pitched an idea he has. Nothing solid, nothing on paper, just an idea. They paid him $300,000 now and he'll get another $700,000 when the movie is completed. That's $1M for an idea!!! Just an idea! Hell, I got lot's of those - I wonder what they'd pay me!!

I'm the first to say I don't like the Hollywood scene. I personally think too many of the so called stars take themselves and their views a little to seriously. But this is a man that I've known for 10 years. All he's ever wanted to do is write and film movies. He is a natural born story teller, and is all about the entertainment. He's got no political aspirations, no hidden agenda. He was telling his Mom when they did the test screening for Waiting, his film, he sat and listened to the audience's reaction. Where he expected chuckles they laughed out loud. Where he expected them to laugh out loud it was so loud they missed the next couple of lines! He kinda sounded like Sally Field accepting her award a few years ago - "Mom, they liked it, they really liked it!"

This is about a dream coming true, and I'm so happy for Rob and his mom!

THEN, I actually found a gas station with gas available. At regular pricing! WOW. But that's not the best part. As I was waiting in line a couple of guys walked up behind me. You could see how exhausted they were. Filthy, sweaty, tired. I heard them talking and realized the southern accent wasn't a Central Florida southern accent, so I turned around and asked them how they were doing? They said they were pretty wiped out. I saw that they were wearing tee-shirts sporting the name of a tree removal company, so I asked where they were from. Nashville - they arrived early Saturday morning. Just another example of the many people that left home and family to help us clean up the mess Charley left behind. So I bought them their cokes. The one guy told me I didn't need to do that. The other guy chuckled and pointed out that by the tone of my voice there really wasn't any room for negotiation. (nice to know I still got "it") I just told them that it was the very least I could do and thanked them for their time away from families in the hot humid Florida summer.

Driving along afterward I was feeling pretty good. Stop at McDonalds for dinner and while sitting in the very long drive thru line the car in front of me stalls. It's a young mother with 2 small children. Instead of anyone getting upset, honking horns and such, the guys in the cars behind me got out and pushed her THRU the line and into a parking place. Then one let her use his cell phone!! Wow - you don't see that every day.

So I'm getting ready to head out to my training class. Nothing like some forgiveness, evidence of a dream coming true and some genuine good community spirit to put a postive light in my eyes.

Posted by Tammi at August 20, 2004 05:36 AM