Day 20

Friday, September 20, 2024

Devil Dawgs

I was on the hunt for something sweet and it was tough to make up my mind. I passed Chick-fil-A and thought about a milkshake but decided against it. I passed Jeni’s and it almost pulled me in. Sometimes the smell of their waffle cones is so convincing, I think I like them more than the ice cream itself. I resisted and walked on telling myself that I could always go on my way back if I changed my mind. A few blocks later, I walked past a 7/11 and considered stopping for a Snickers ice cream bar, but then I thought about how fake the ingredients must be and convinced myself that I could do better. I walked past a Jewel and an Aldi but didn’t want to carry anything home or have to make anything. I decided that I wanted the new cake shake from Portillos and pulled out my phone to order pickup. My map showed that the restaurant was a half mile away and I considered that the ice cream might melt on the walk home. I changed my mind one last time and ordered a shake from Devil Dawgs.

On the three block walk home, I saw an old coworker coming from a storefront and caught her attention before she walked past me. I hadn’t seen her in a few years and we chatted for a minute before going our own ways.

It was then that I realized that all of my indecision had led me to that moment. Had I chosen any of my prior options, I wouldn’t have seen her. Had I decided to wait for the light to change and cross the street a half block earlier, I wouldn’t have seen her. And who knows which decisions she made to get her to that exact moment. Moments like these baffle me and really make me believe that everything happens for a reason.