By Jan Penton Miller 

Something didn’t seem quite right. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but for some reason the day trip that I had planned to go on earlier in the week just didn’t appeal to me. When I thought of preparing my clothes for the outing I felt a vague uneasiness. 

    “This is weird. I was excited about going, but something tells me to stay home. Doesn’t make any sense to me.”

    Years ago I learned to pay attention and follow my gut on such things. I must be transparent and say that more times than I care to admit I do my own thing anyway. But this time I called and cancelled my spot on the church van actually feeling an immediate sense of relief.

    “Wonder what that was about? Probably indigestion,” I laughed to myself.  After a good night’s rest I thought about alternative plans for the day. I considered calling a friend and cooking up some fun, but decided against it. Instead, I went about my day busying myself with chores.

    “Fun, fun. Here I am staying home working when I could have been heading to Laurel.”

    Even though my yard was a little crispy in spots it still needed a haircut. Mike and I cut down on the yard work when we moved from the country, but as you know it takes work to keep up any place. My new toy cranked right up, and I got busy. I’m sure I looked like Linus with a dust cloud following me! One thing led to another, and before I knew it the yard was looking neat again. The yard looked nice, but I, on the other hand, was quite literally a hot mess. Dusting myself off, I gingerly entered the backdoor not wanting to spread dirt everywhere.

    I poured myself a cool drink and was contemplating dinner plans when the phone rang. “Hi honey. It’s Mike. I didn’t tell you sooner because you never know with the trucking business, but it looks like I’ll be able to spend the night in Slidell tonight. How about meeting me for dinner in about an hour?”

    “Love to! Let me get cleaned up and I’ll meet you where?”

    “I’ll be at the truck stop as you turn onto Gause Boulevard. Call me when you’re close and I’ll walk up front.”   Quickly, I showered and packed an overnight bag. Mike had to stay with his truck to keep his load safe, but there was room for two. I sat at my bathroom mirror putting finishing touches on my makeup when I realized I would have been traveling home from Laurel had I not cancelled the trip.

    Though I had no idea why I shouldn’t go on that little outing, God knew. I’m so glad I listened.