Dog-gone the luck!

Ever since I was four years old, I knew I was lucky. I'll never forget that day. I was outside swimming with my sister when the phone rang. My mom said that we had to get out of the pool and go to the dentist's office. What?! The dentist's office? My name had been drawn out of the fish bowl at the dentist's office, and I had won a giant pink stuffed hippopotamus. I was so, so excited. 

That was a defining moment in my life. I had been chosen; I was lucky.

From that point on, lots of lucky things happened to me. I made cheerleader every year from 4th to 12th grade. I won lots of awards in school and even a few scholarships.

Then I named my chocolate brown Chihuahua puppy, Lucky. Big mistake. You'd think with a name like that he'd have luck on his side. Not the case. I'll never forget sitting at the computer and feeling something warm and wet on my ankle... Lucky had hiked his leg and peed on me! That little dog was rotten! Not too many months later, Lucky had gotten hit by a car, as most dogs named that do, and his luck ran out, literally.

Lately I've been feeling that same way. Like my luck is running out. I seem to always pick the worst lines for grocery store check out. I'll think it's a great line: an old lady with less than ten items. I guess I just forget about how S L O W old people are, how many coupons they cut out and how many questions they ask. Now how could, I, Lora 'scared of old people' Hodges make that mistake?! 

And I've been looking for a job as a teacher. I've been on many interviews and attended lots of job fairs. Still nothing. I've gotten pretty close a few times, but still nothing. 

"Dog-gone the luck."

That's what my grandpa would tell me if he were here, but I know that everything happens for a reason. 

I didn't make cheerleader every year because I was lucky. I gave it my best. I practiced and worked very hard to be the best cheerleader I could be. Same for the awards and scholarships.

I know Lucky was hit by a car because I needed to know that the stupid boy that hit him, was, indeed, stupid. 

I'm almost positive that the reason I haven't found a job yet is because the best job for me is still out there. 

Now as for the grocery store lines... I'm not sure why that keeps happening to me. Maybe I need to learn to be tolerant of old people!

I don't know how much I believe in luck anymore, but I do believe I can make my own luck. Anything I can do to 'up' my chances in life, I do it. Whether it's entering every single day in the HGTV Green Home giveaway, so I can try to win that beautiful house, or exercising and eating right in order to stay healthy, I will do what I can to get the best outcome. Being positive and proactive in my life provide me with that feeling of luck.

Greg thinks that he's luckier than me because he won a cruise with the Dallas Cowboys back when he was in college. Well, that pretty much spoils my pink hippo story. Who wants to go on a cruise with the Dallas Cowboys anyway? I'd much rather cuddle up with a ginormous pink hippopotamus! Yeah, whatever!