Opinionated so and so

Top O The Morning to Ya! Oh wait, I missed it. That was yesterday. I was at the theatre all day, preparing for GreenFest, which was our combined St. Patrick's/Recycling education program. Irish Dancers, Bagpipes and a representative from Fulton county recycling, with lots of giveaways. We had dinner catered by a local eatery-Lomanto's-a nice irish boy. It was delicious. And well attended. This is what we hope for when we're planning events. It's not always a successful endeavor but I do think those who attend are leaving happy. That's the goal. I've had a busy couple of weeks, and was able to fit in a visit to LI last weekend. While browsing a "retro boutiqe" with Joanne and Jackie I witnessed a young girl (probably about 6 or 7, maybe younger) cliimbing up a bookcase and pulling out books one by one to look at them. I watched her for a moment to guage the stability of the bookcase, and then walked over and said "Don't climb there honey, you'll get hurt". All of this seemed quite acceptable to me until I was walking away and it struck me like a bolt from the sky-I have become that woman who interferes in other people's business and speaks her mind. Good God, when did that happen? I was horrified. Not because of what I had done, but because I didn't care. When re-examining the whole episode I came to the conclusion that I would have done nothing differently. That's what scared me. Because in watching this small child climb up a well loaded bookcase I was able to assess what the damage would be when it fell. The damage to her was obvious to me. It would hurt and cause a very painful, conceivably hospital worthy injury. But the real clincher for me was looking at the bookcase full of shelves and feeling, really feeling, that some poor clerk would have to restock all the shelves with the books that fell to the floor. That is when my real compassion kicked in. So "honey, don't climb there" was really my effort in unity with a clerk who didn't deserve all that extra work or aggravation. My cosmic interference with what was potentially a big traumatic event in this little corner of the world felt totally justified and necessary. Which makes me that kind of woman. One who speaks her opinion and feels justified in doing it. Oh boy. And yet I feel a certain amount of enlightenment too. Isn't this a perfectly acceptable way to clean up some of the world's small injustices? If I just speak up, I can educate and possibly intervene at any moment and cause true change and improvement. This is heady stuff. There is still more snow than grass here, but slowly that is changing. Like a receding hairline, the green is showing more and more. I have witnessed numerous flip flops and the shorts are out in force. Not in this house, but locally just the same. I'm starting to look around the property and visualize where and how to plant things. Also, remembering that last year we planted blueberry bushes (we-get the we?) I am riding Jerry's coattails on that one-he did the digging-I did the cheering. But blueberry bushes we shall have. I can taste them already. Tonight we unveil the 2010 season at the theatre-a big deal here. I must remember to keep my opinions to myself-just for tonight anyway. Enjoy the thaw.