34. Ga – gratitude lists

The rest of the day had been long and disappointing. That night at the gym, I picked a difficult course on the stationary bike, knowing a good workout always lifted my mood.

The bike’s screen filled with images of a mountain trail.  A group of computer generated cyclists raced ahead of me on the course. I peddled furiously, muttering insults as I passed each one.   The guy on the bike next to me got up abruptly and left.

I switched from insults to a consonant/vowel combination gratitude list.   Quietly I said, “Ba – bagels, salt bagels and peanut butter, mmmm.  Be – my friend and sister Beverly.  Bi –binges I didn’t go on anymore. Otherwise I would have been throwing up over the handlebars.   Bo – boxers, great dogs, I was sorry the one next door was moving.  Bu – but I had my own dog.  By – good to say ‘buh bye!’to people I wouldn’t miss. Bl – Blondie, my daughter, fierce, determined, kindhearted, and forever my little girl.  Br – Brat Boy, my son, funny, considerate, and loving.

By the time I got to “Zo – zombies, glad they’re not real” I was almost done with the course and in a great mood.

Today I will put together a really long gratitude list.

Sober Not Somber © 2015 by Ken Montrose

(Just a reminder: Sober Not Somber is a work of fiction.  Any resemblance to anyone you might know is purely coincidental.)