Adventures in Hooray!

   Do you consider yourself lucky?  I don't know if I would say I'm lucky, but I consider myself fortunate.  The other day in class, one of my professors mentioned this study on luck.  Researchers asked participants to come to a restaurant and just get a free meal.  All the participants had to do was sit and eat and be themselves.  After the meal, researchers asked them what they thought of the experience.  How was the food?  How was the atmosphere? What the team found was that those who did not consider themselves lucky would comment on those questions and just say thanks for the meal.  Here's where it gets interesting.  Participants who considered themselves lucky always had a story to tell.  One couple was thinking of building their own home and the waiter's father happened to be a contractor.  Another participant was looking for a place to live and the cook just happened to be renting out his mother-in-law suite (I haven't read the study so these examples are just made up.  The point is...weird connections were made).  Now, does this prove that luck exists?  The researchers said nay.  These instances weren't luck.  They are explained by a person's willingness to open up to the environment and experiences around them.  The participants who don't consider themselves lucky could have had the same stories had they been able to open up their eyes to what was around them.
    So, what's the connection to my Adventures in Hooray?  Well, I've been using that word a lot and wondered what it was about.  Hooray to new friends!  Hooray to fun adventures!  Hooray to smiles from strangers! Hooray to sunny days and crazy connections!  I was attributing this to some message the world was trying to send me.  "Syd, you've had enough crap, here are some awesome things!"  But, I didn't really believe that.  Because even through some hellish times, I have found amazing people and created some great stories.  And  I don't really believe in luck.  I do, however, believe in learning who I am and trying new things.  I have learned that by going with the flow, or pushing past my comfort zone...by being vulnerable...I allow these things to become visible.  Maybe that stranger was always smiling, and I finally noticed because I told myself to stand tall again.  These people have always been here.  Hell, I've even met some of them before.  But I'm finally allowing myself to connect again and become that person who leaves the restaurant with a story.