Rizz goes round the world

Just when I needed it.

Well, since I've shared the clover story with y'all already, may as well share this one. If you don't know what I'm talking about, read this first. Oh, and you'll also need to know that my grandfather used to live in Baltimore, Maryland.

Anyway, some of you know I've been having a bit of a hard go of it as of late. After the high of the Outback, I hit a bit of a wall, dealt with being homesick for the first time, and overall started wondering whether I'm strong enough to do this or not. Well, just as I was on the phone with my friend Karel, discussing this exact topic, someone walked by with a shirt that read "Maryland" across the front. It made me smile, thinking of home, and of my family, and of a night shirt someone, either my Mom or my Nana, I think, bought me in Maryland when I was a bratty little kid. It read something like "Don't bother me, I'm crabby. Baltimore, MD", with a crab on it. (For those of you not from the States, Maryland is known for its crabs.) I had a bit of a laugh with Karel as I told him how I think I threw a fit when someone gave the night shirt to me, thinking it insulting. It was obviously a fitting shirt for me at that time.

Anyway, after getting off the phone, I went to an outdoor cafe for some dinner. As I sat enjoying my pad thai and beer, someone walked by with a shirt that read, this time, "Baltimore". Ok, a bit of an odd coincidence. I half-jokingly texted Karel, saying maybe it's a sign. Then I sat back to ponder that a bit, and thought how weird it would be if I saw someone with a four-leaf clover on their shirt. Now THAT, that would be a sign. Kept my eye out as I finished my meal, but of course no one walked by with a 4-leaf clover on their shirt, and I laughed at how silly I can be sometimes.

So I paid my bill and walked down the street to the STA travel office to pick up my ticket to Singapore. By this point, Lance had rung me and I'd forgotten about the whole sign thing as I chatted with him. Then I spotted in the corner of my eye a shirt that looked vaguely familiar. As I looked closer, I realized it was a Flogging Molly shirt-- an Irish-punkish band popular around Boston. Hey, I wonder if that guy's from around Boston, I thought. Then I realized the more significant element of the shirt. Behind the logo of the band, a four-leaf clover. So, there it was, not just any t-shirt with a clover on it, but one that held some significance for me and that would therefore surely grab my attention and make me study it for a moment, even while I was otherwise distracted.

Again, maybe I'm making something out of nothing, but regardless it was significant to me. And just when I needed it, here, a source of strength and confidence. I send up my gratitude.

posted by La Rizz @ 12:30 AM