ESSAY | MONTHLY THEME | PROMPTLY WRITTEN
Okay, I Get It!
Gratitude Journal — Day 20
Have you ever been beaten over the head with signs from the Universe, but you continue to ignore them — until you no longer can? Well, the Universe has been sending me signs a lot lately and I’ve repeatedly ignored them. Tonight I got walloped hard.
Since I haven’t felt well lately and only want to sleep, it has been hard to make healthy, homecooked meals as I have in the past. So instead, I’ve been eating a lot of takeout and delivery food. The takeout hasn’t been bad, probably because we are there waiting on it. I wish I could say the same for the delivery. In recent weeks, we’ve had a delivery from three separate restaurants. All three times, we’ve had missing food or the wrong food delivered. Some of the right food has been overcooked. Tonight, I had amassed enough points for a free pizza and ordered a large veggie, no-cheese pan pizza — that would give me at least four meals. When my order arrived, it was a large, thin-and-crispy pepperoni pizza.
Bam! The Universe smacked me hard upside the head. For one thing, I am a Piscitarian, which means I eat mostly fruits and vegetables, some nuts and seeds, whole grains, and seafood. For another thing, since it was a free pizza, there was no refund. I could either wait another hour for the right pizza or eat the one I already had. The sight of that greasy, paper-thin, hard-crusted pizza turned my stomach. I said no thanks to both.
As I tossed the pizza out to whatever animals dared to eat it, I screamed at the Universe, “Okay, I get it!” Three strikes, I’m out. I ended up snacking on some apples and walnuts instead.
I know fast food is bad for my overall health. And even though I don’t eat fried fast food, I still need to be eating healthier, in general. So I am grateful that the Universe keeps sending me signs until I finally get the message, however long that takes. And tomorrow, I will go to the grocery store and get some healthier choices.
©2021 Lori Carlson. All Rights Reserved.
I am grateful to Alyse Rowe for editing some of the stories today. Thanks for lightening my load.
This is in response to the November Monthly Theme prompt — Keep a 30-day Gratitude journal. I am aiming to commit to this. Wish me luck!
I’ve amassed a nice size list of work that leaves me in awe. I used to write appreciation lists, but I no longer have the time. I still keep the list though and it continues to grow. Check it out and maybe you will find a few awe-inspiring stories you’d like to keep too!
Lori Carlson writes Poetry, Fiction, Articles, Creative Non-Fiction, and Personal Essays. Most of her topics are centered around Relationships, Spirituality, Life Lessons, Mental Health, Nature, Loss, Death, and the LGBTQ+ community. She is the Owner/Editor of Promptly Written and Not For Bedtime Stories. Check out her personal Medium blog here.
