Spontaneity

Spontaneity.

I'm always glad when someone has that.
The ability to step out of the usual, normal and the blah.
The ability to step out of their character and do something different.

They're the ones that are making it fun for the rest of us.

Once, in a solemn Sunday School setting, the teacher was feverishly conveying their brand of truth. Out of nowhere, a half-full baby bottle of milk was flung at the back of a very dignified congregation member's head. Shocked, he turned around to see who was to blame.

The villain was an active child who'd been fussing on his mother's lap. The witnesses present all knew the identity of the culprit, but with so many eyes looking on, the mother, with eyes wide, said, "Sorry. I just got really, really mad."

Priceless.


When I was a teenager, I worked at a busy fast food restaurant in Arizona. That store had more volume than any store in the state, and our six to eight-hour shifts usually flew by. I barely remembered what happened from day to day, unless there was some huge disaster. Barring that, each shift was much like the other.

One morning, three middle-aged men stood at my counter, deciding what their breakfast was going to consist of. The man standing in the center happened to notice my name tag.

"Amy...." he said, "That's a good name."

Without any warning, he began to sing, and the two others joined in. They sang all of the verses of Pure Prairie League's 'Amie' in three-part harmony. Everyone in the lobby stopped what they were doing, and my co-workers, even though not supposed to, paused to see what was going on up front. When the trio finished, the people in the establishment broke out into wild applause. Being only a youth, I was blushing like a red rose, but x amount of years later, I still appreciate it.

That was a really great day.


A couple of months ago, I was leaving the grocery store, making my way through the busy parking lot. Three kids, about twelve years old or so, whizzed past me. The third cyclist held out his hand, I thought 'why not', and we high fived. He and I both laughed, I hoped a bunch of other people in the lot saw how cool I was, and we went our way. I've been smiling about that one ever since.

Spontaneity...

What can we do to be spontaneous today?

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