Is perception reality?

Is it just our frame of mind and attitude that determine our perception of things?

Today was one of those days where things were rubbing my fur in the reverse direction. It started at The Home Depot, where I worked a 4 hour shift in the garden department. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy working in the elements especially surrounded by thousands of plants. For some reason I did not want to be at that place on this day. Because while I am grateful for having TWO jobs ( a lot of people don't have ONE), committing 60 or more hours a week to two businesses can take a toll on a person from time to time. Anyway, little things began to add up: screaming children, customers who come in not prepared for what they are about to do (A man buys two 4 foot Yucca plants. He wants me to re-pot them, and somehow get them in his Toyota Camry), and learning even more about a company's cryptic computer system. I have a hard enough time remembering how to operate all the computers at the TV station. That's the trouble with two jobs: there is so much more to know if you want to be valuable to a company.

So throw those things into the mix, add a pound of Friday afternoon traffic,  pour in some lines at the gas station, let it cook in 90 degree heat for a while, then go in and negotiate the vast retail landscape of  Wally World for 8 items, then get into the "Express Lane." I had a choice between two of those lines. I picked the shorter one. Well, the shorter line does not always mean a faster line. When you are either in a hurry, or in a bad mood, someone will pick up on this and decide to delay the checking out process by paying with some cash, and some food stamps, and maybe a gift card to round it out. Well it was at time when I was standing in line with my 8 things wondering why we can take photographs of constellations so far away from here that one's mind will twist into a mustard flavored pretzel just trying to comprehend where the pretty grouping of lights actually is, but there's always a log jam at the checkout.

Well I know that it isn't always that bad. One just needs to know what time and day it is that one can take a wire buggy with a gimp wheel and jacked alignment at a leisurely pace through one of the most vile places in America, and not want to throw a jar of instant coffee through the freezer case. I do. And THAT would put me in a good mood.