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Cathy C. Hallhttps://cathychall.wordpress.com/I write, write, write. Then I rewrite, rewrite, rewrite. THEN I submit all those polished-up words out into the world and sell 'em. It's a plan that's worked pretty well.

A Little Ordinary Miracle

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2010-09-06 08.50.16I sat down, fingers poised to write the story about what happened last week. But then I remembered what I said at choir…

So we had this choir retreat–a long day of getting back together after a long summer break–and I raised my hand and said I wanted to tell a quick story, something that had just happened to me.

Now if you know me, you know I’m not very good at telling quick stories. I mean, I tend to have little asides and a big build-up, not to mention the occasional backstory. It’s a gift. Anyway, I told my story, and as I was heading back to my seat, I said, “Now, that’s a Chicken Soup for the Soul story!”

Yep, everyone agreed that it’d make a great Chicken Soup story. And then I forgot about the story till just this minute when I thought about sharing it with you. When bam! The Chicken Soup memory came to me and a little voice said, “Maybe you should check the website, just in case.”

I haven’t sent anything in to Chicken Soup in forever, and the last story I sent in hasn’t gone anywhere. But hope springs eternal and all that so I checked out the Possible Topics page and saw this:

Miracles and More 
When Good Things Happen to Good People
All of us have experienced events in our lives that are completely unexplainable: the strange premonition that made you take a different route home only, causing you to miss an accident; the eerie feeling that you should call home… now, saving someone’s life; the mysterious communication from a loved one who has passed on. Angels, divine timing, miraculous coincidences, answered prayers, premonitions that come true. Good things do happen to good people. Please share your unbelievable and amazing stories about the unexplainable events that have occurred to you. Share the awe, the faith, and the wonder with our readers. The deadline date for story and poem submissions is August 31, 2017.

Okay, whoa. My story was one of those completely inexplicable things, an unbelievable story or miraculous coincidence if you will. So I’m afraid I won’t be sharing it here with you today. I’ve got to write it up and send it in to Chicken Soup. You saw that deadline date.

And this whole thing right here? A last minute checking of the Chicken Soup website and seeing exactly the topic I needed? It could almost be a “Miracles and More” story, too. 

Just sayin’. The world’s one miracle after another, if you know where to look.

(And P.S. Maybe you have one, too. Send it in!)

When Irony Slaps You in the Face

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pexels-photo-164661So this morning, I was paying bills. Naturally, I was already in a foul humor because finances and addition and subtraction and such is not really my strong suit, right? And then I came to my cable bill and I was like, “ALL right, enough!” And I snatched up my phone and vehemently punched in the 800 number.

I waited patiently–yes, I was patient–for a helpful cable person. In this case, Andre.

Me: Hello, Andre. (I started out very politely.) I’m wondering why I pay more for my cable THAN ANYONE ELSE I KNOW. (It took a very sudden turn to not-so-polite.)

Andre: Well, let’s just check your cable bill, shall we?

(Lots of other side comments were made. But eventually Andre found me a “deal”.)

Andre: So you’ll get three services and pay less than what you’re paying now for two! Does that sound like something you’d like?

Me: Why, yes, Andre, it does, indeed. Although I don’t need that third service. So what would that special price be, after we add fees and taxes and such?

Andre (figuring quietly): Ah! It’s only this little amount!

Me: Andre, that’s only twenty bucks or so less than what I’m paying now. Call me crazy, but I could go with a different service (One that streams, once I figure out all that streaming stuff) for about A HUNDRED DOLLARS LESS.

Andre (who did not skip a beat): So will you be switching to this new and improved package plan?

Me: *sigh*

I did not switch. At some point during the next month, I will be researching my options. In the meantime, perhaps you’d like to take a look at my Muffin post today (and here’s where the irony comes in, dear friends, because I wrote this long before my little chat with Andre) called, “The Writing and Cable Company Connection.”

*sigh*