A walk. Two cookies. And beer.

I received bad news this afternoon about a job I thought was a sure thing. In a city I really would love to live and work in.  I decided to take my bad attitude and rapidly diminishing mood and crawl under the covers.  My friend had other ideas.

“Let’s go for a walk.”

No.

“Yes.”

No. It’s cold.

“You have a jacket.”

No.

“You  should go outside. You haven’t been outside all day.”

I went outside this morning to move my truck. I don’t want to go for a walk.

“Walking will make you feel better. Thomas Jefferson said physical exercise is good for the body and mind…”

OK. Fine. (thinking: this is the Bronx, not Monticello) 

Petulantly, I layered up and made my way downstairs to the sidewalk.  I was quietly moving to the end of the block … mostly because we were walking to buy a 4-pack of pumpkin beer.

I noticed the mail carrier making her rounds and pointed out it’s late in the day.  She sighed and agreed.

Then, unbidden, out of my mouth comes, “Do you like cookies?’ 

“Y-y-yes…”

Ran back inside and grabbed the last two from last night’s batch of pumpkin oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.

She declared they “are just melting in my mouth” and “a complete blessing” and “you don’t even know what kind of day it’s been” and “this is the best part of my whole week”.

I said “mail is morale” and I appreciate what she does every day.

Smiled and walked away.

A quick sideways glance and I see a huge smile.

“See? Thomas Jefferson was right. Walking makes…”

Hush.

I didn’t get that job. And I gave away the last two cookies.

The walk didn’t suck, though.  And they had two types of pumpkin beer.

It makes me happy to make people smile.