Ode to today

This is an ode to today,
To the day that followed a sleepless night,
To an awakening to unexpected joy,
To the clouds that were burned away by the heat of the sun,
To revisiting an old haunt,
To walking the old campus,
To admiring the changes,
To things that stayed the same,
To taking tests in a hushed room,
To Betty, the invigilator who so clearly loved people,
To having more people who smile and love,
To a $2.75 slice of pizza after all these years,
To the boy who gave up his seat on the bus,
To the two hockey fans (one Oilers, one Canucks) who stopped to talk to me,
To a beloved cat at my feet,
To seeing someone from a new perspective,
To seeing myself with fresh eyes,
To today,
To my day.

Today, I went back to UBC to take my tests for the Public Service Commission, for several positions that I had applied for (as a back-up plan).  Arrived there at 7:20 in the morning, and had a gruelling 6 hours of tests. I thought it would ruin my Saturday, but Betty, a woman who supervised the exams, made them a pleasure to take. No, she didn't give away any responses, but she helped in a way infinitely better: She had a radiance about her that calmed all the nervous test-takers down. This was a woman who loved her job, who loved people, who believed in kindness. When a few stragglers came in late, one of the other administrators was ready to toss them out in a huff, but Betty, in her gentle, soft-spoken ways, made it all better. And no one was annoyed or embarrassed in the process.  And she supplied us all with sharpened pencils with such flourish that I felt like a kid receiving a magic wand. From then on, the day just got better. Can't beat a giant cookie out of the vending machine, or the best $2.75 slice of pizza, still the same as how I remember it from years ago. I passed by the beautiful library again, walked old paths but saw new sights. Reconnected with important people, who allow my flights of fancy, but who ground me, and make it so easy for me to love them. I feel different today. I feel more myself, more alive, just more....