Common Misfortune Can Be Good Fortune

A month ago, I was on my way home and I got a blowout; I heard a "bang," and the left front tire of my car went flat. This misfortune happened in a neighborhood setting, so I was able to pull off the road easily. That was fortunate, but I didn't see it that way. What I did notice was that I did not have a spare tire and my cell phone was dead. How was I to call AAA? What good is it to have AAA if I can't call them! "One misfortune after another," I thought. Or was it? After engaging in a little self-pity, I decided to take action. I walked across the street and knocked on several of the neighborhood house doors. I was hoping someone might let me make a call to AAA. It was the middle of the day, and no one answered until the fourth house; an elderly gentleman came to the door, in his late 80s I suspect. He spoke very little English and I spoke no Chinese, so it took me a few moments to explain my plight. What a wonderful experience this misfortune became. The elderly gentleman invited me in, pointed to the telephone, and went into the kitchen. By the time I finished making my call, he was back with two bowls of shrimp dumpling soup -- homemade. One bowl for me and one for him. The two of us had a great lunch together. And because of his receptive, calm and compassionate attitude, I found myself undergoing a complete transformation of mood. What a delight! I watched my attitude go from "why is this happening to me" to "wow, this misfortune has turned to something unique and ...

Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - August 5, 2015 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news