Until you actually start your apartment hunt, and reality strikes. (Even if you’re looking in nice neighborhoods and fine with spending some money on a place.)

Is there someone out there who wants to follow me with a video camera? We could put together quite a reality show about encounters with the landlords (if that’s what you want to call them) who seem to be living on the edge of Crazyville. We could feature the beautiful places (can you sense any sarcasm here?) they are actually trying to get people to pay to live in. Here are some of my favorites. The ones that:

*Smell so bad when you walk in, you gag

*Have stains. Yes- stains. On carpets and walls and doors and…

*With dead roaches on the floors 

*You have to kick/step over garbage to make it through the hallway

*Advertise “all inclusive utilities” and in fact there are no utilities included

I especially love the trick words/terms like “cozy cottage”, “cute bungalow” or “unique living situation.” Yeah, it’s unique alright. I’ll take the one with the rats please. Who do I make the check out to?

Until I asked him where he’d been out of the country working. 

He told me; “I’m a pilot for the Marine Corps and I was in Iraq for a while.”

At that point I went from scurrying and moving on quickly, to stopping dead in my tracks and staring at him. It was as if a punch of reality hit me in the gut. After about 10 solid seconds I managed to get out a; “Thank you. I’m glad you’re back safe.” to which he replied; “Yeah. Me too.”

That was it and then I drove away. 

I thought I would share this simple transaction story because as I drove away yesterday all I could think of was huh, once again there I was busy in life and running around and doing all the daily stuff. The worries, the work the this and that and sometimes losing sight of/not thinking of why I am free to do and be who and what I want and the people that make that happen. I was very thankful for my reality punch in the gut interaction yesterday because it made me feel lucky. Thought this story might make at least one person out there stop for a second in their day and be thankful for people like the nice Marine and feel lucky too. Also thought it was a bit ironic that at the beginning of the summer during Memorial day weekend I had a pretty amazing interaction with some military folks. Here now it’s labor day and again. I’m able go off, play in the sun and bbq it up like gazillions of other people around the country this weekend because of all the heros that fight for our freedom to do so.

Happy Labor Day weekend and thank you to all who fight for all of us to have it.

Thanks girls.

Hammocks are awesome. I am loving it. You guys are sweet and generous. Between this and a double layer brownie cake- you have won my heart forever. I am such an easy sell…