Coffee on the roof of my car
It was like I had trained for this even all my life. I had 30 minutes to pick up some much-needed socks for my daughters at Zeller’s, return videos to the nearby Blockbuster, pick up a few dollar store loot bag goodies for my 5 yr.-old’s birthday party, drop by the bank machine and most importantly pick up a large, double double at Tim Horton’s. This was today’s lunch time sprint and I was ready. Of course I didn’t build in time for actually eating any lunch - the coffee would have to.

Twenty-eight minutes later I returned to my car, having completed all my tasks in record time, my heart still racing from my store-to-store sprinting. I admit that I felt a little smug at my accomplishment and relieved I had gotten everything done.

Back inside the car, bags strewn carelessly beside me in the passenger seat, I began backing out of the parking spot when I noticed a guy looking at me. He was a full row away but it was clear he was definitely staring at me. I gathered up my courage and looked in his direction and he didn’t look away. "OK, this isn’t all in my head," I thought, quickly looking away from him to begin, again, to back out my car.

I was curious to see if he was still looking but wondered why he would be. Not only was I wearing no makeup, but I was also in my least favorite, slightly frumpy pants outfit so I knew I couldn't be attracting attention with my fashion sense. It’s not that I wanted this stranger to be interested in me, either. Truth is I really only want my husband of 14 years to notice me, which he still does, even when I’m without makeup and in my least favorite, slightly frumpy pants outfit. I wondered what other reason for there could be for this guy’s attention.

I fought the urge to look over at him again, deciding to just look behind me and continue backing out. When I swung my head around, though, I couldn’t ignore the fact that this guy was now waving both arms in the air, forming the letter X above his head as his arms crossed and uncrossed. OK, he had my attention. I opened my passenger window and leaned toward it. He began pointing toward my car and yelling loudly, "your coffee is on the roof of your car!"

I laughed, returning a loud and heart-felt "Thank you!" before retrieving my beloved coffee from the roof, taking a big gulp and driving off. Heading back to the office, I chuckled and shook my head every time I pictured myself driving away with my coffee on my roof - and the awful splat I would have heard eventually.

I was still proud of my lunchtime performance but had to laugh that for all my planning (and smugness) I still left my coffee on the roof of my car. I found myself thinking about how during a day you can experience both moments of accomplishment and failure, success and embarrassment, frustration and exhilaration. Even when your plan seems to be working perfectly, something can still go wrong. That’s just life - real life.

Even with 15 years of experience working in graphic design, marketing communications, publishing and, at one time, running my own book layout freelance business, I am still learning, growing, striving, achieving - and making mistakes. I’m a woman involved in the world of business but mostly I’m a woman in the business of living. Aren’t we all?

As the new Editor for the Women in Business I want to make sure everyone feels welcome in this section. Women in Business is for real women, like you and me. It’s for women who are working - at a career or at home, with children or without, who wear several hats in a day or just one, who have dreams, are pursuing passions and endeavoring to make a better life for themselves and those around them. I’m not perfect but I’m striving to be the best I can be in all areas of my life - my real life. There are failures but also successes and I know I can accomplish great things every day. I just have to check the roof of my car every now and then.