My sister-in-law is getting a new vacuum cleaner. Even better? It’s a Dyson.
Amazing what can bring you unexpected joy.
To be fair, her current vacuum just isn’t cutting the mustard anymore, especially with their floofy dog AJ. There’s only so much Golden Retriever hair any vacuum can take. Having dog sat him for a week, I’m impressed their current one lasted this long.
You could sense her happiness when she texted us to share the news, making us both giggle. One – because we know that joy of getting a new toy (usually some sort of cooking utensil). Two – because James came just short of taking the new Kenmore we purchased, and after a few months, nearly throwing it into the street. Then breaking down and buying another Dyson.
But it is amazing what will create those random moments of joy. Getting a phone call from a past client who just happened to be thinking of you and wanted to know how you were doing. The random email from a friend you haven’t heard from in a while. Finding out you will be presenting at the national architecture conference in June. (Quickly followed by panic because you can’t remember what you submitted.)
New underwear.
Yes. New underwear. I remember being in my early twenties and purchasing some briefs and just thinking they were fabulous. So much so I told a number of friends about them, and probably showed them to a few others. I’m not sure everyone got as much joy from that as I did. However, for me – unexpected joy. And all for a pair of budgie smugglers.
And being part of the queer community, this last year could have benefitted from the joy of some new underwear. Joy for a lot of us. However, you do take the moments that come, like when a judge grants an injunction on anti-queer legislation. Or another sports figure or celebrity comes out. (Score one for the homo team!) Or an uber conservative politician or right-wing anti-gay member of the clergy is caught with their pants down.
While we shouldn’t be taking any joy in someone’s demise (is this just asking for bad karma?), with all that’s been happening, you take the littlest moments of joy when you can.
Ultimately, on the worst of days, you manage to find an unexpected moment where you think life isn’t so bad. Listening to the news, speeches, rantings, and ravings that have accompanied the 2024 presidential race for over a year has been quite disheartening. Then just when you think how great living overseas might be, you get that news that Ron DeSantis has scurried back to Florida with his tail between his legs. Or Donald Trump gets slapped with damages for defamation. Or Greg Abbott is told no by the Supreme Court.
Unexpected joy! Plus something to gossip about over Friday night Mexican and margaritas. Although amongst our group, we are just as likely to talk about underwear.
