I Could be in New Orleans...

... and I don't mean that in a good way. I spoke to a branch president on the phone yesterday who works on a marine base in New Orleans. He was trying to get something figured out for a student who's coming back to BYU this fall and was hurrying to get it done before they were told to evacuate because of the hurricane headed their way.

I had been in a... not-very-nice-mood for a lot of the day because I was tired of dealing with students whose registration problems were their own fault, but they refused to take responsibility for it.

After speaking with this branch president, I tried to remind myself, "You could be in New Orleans getting ready to evacuate right now." It didn't really help. Then I remembered a guy who had come into the office the day before needing help. He was not one of the problem-students. While working with him, he mentioned that his professors already new that he was undergoing chemotherapy, and had been for a while. He had been in a good mood, and was grateful for the help I was able to give him.

These two thoughts combined to help get me out of the rut that I had been in for the majority of the week. Then, in looking for a new "quote of the week" which I hang on the wall at work (which, more often than not, turns into the "quote of the month" because I forget to change it), I came across this: "Holding on to anger, resentment and hurt only gives you tense muscles, a headache and a sore jaw from clenching your teeth. Forgiveness gives you back the laughter and the lightness in your life." - Joan Lunden

So, the day ended with me in a much better attitude than I had started in. It helped that my car passed it's safety and emissions tests, and I finally got the oil changed, and I got the little rock chips in my windshield repaired for free!

So, even though I sometimes enjoy quotes like, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade, and then throw it in the face of the person who gave you the lemons until they give you the oranges you originally asked for," it's probably not a good idea to post that on the wall when I'm trying to give myself a positive attitude adjustment.

So, until it becomes more natural for me to just be in a good mood regardless of the stup- ahem, "special" people around me, I'll just keep telling myself, "Hey, I could be in New Orleans."