I’ve always heard that good things come to those who wait, but I never thought I’d have to wait for 3 decades.
Back in the early 90s, Paul and I visited his sister in Grass Valley, California, right outside of Sacramento. We were staying in the guest room in her basement.
Like a lot of basements, it had an odd configuration to accommodate all the internal wiring, plumbing, HVAC’s, etc. I got up in the middle of the night and was making my way to the bathroom without the aid of any nightlight.
I had to walk down a long hallway and then turn right. I walked down the hallway with confidence turned right, right into a solid wall. I guess the noise I made was pretty funny because Paul has been telling the story complete with sound effects for 30 years.
The wait is over: enter Karma.
Paul and I were in Saratoga Springs, New York, where Paul gave a speech for 100 chefs. After the event, we spent one more night in the area before driving down to Boston.
Paul was afraid he would forget his suit coat and hanging clothes in the morning, so he left the bifold doors on the closet open to remind himself.
Yes, you guessed it. On his way back to bed in the middle of the night, he misjudged the distance and came face-to-face with the protruding door. From the impact, it sounded like he must’ve had the hounds of hell at his heels; there was definitely some force behind it.
Unfortunately, my initial response when he gets hurt is always laughter, never concern. I think it’s probably safe to say Paul does not find this trait especially endearing. When Paul’s mom had cataract surgery, I went over every day to put drops in her eye, and she would always exclaim that I had missed my calling: I should have been a nurse. Bless her heart: NO. I would always tell her, “Slow down Lady. It’s just an eyedrop. You should see how bad I am with other stuff.”
To prove that point, I laughed so hard the night of the collision that I kept us both up for quite a while. Just when I got myself back under control, Paul said he thought he broke his nose, and I started all over again.
Just like everyone, there are certainly days when I’m stretched thin and question my choices, but one thing has always been certain. I have never, ever, ever regretted not becoming a nurse. And I’m certain there are tons of people who are alive because I didn’t. They say laughter is the best medicine, but it probably doesn’t count when someone is laughing AT you!!
