Good Time(2)

That sounds so sordid—eavesdropping. It’s more of a sampling situation, like when you go to the grocery store and they’re offering samples. If Meghan didn’t want me to sample her life coaching session she should have had it somewhere a bit more private, am I right? Besides, kismet has decided that I’m meant to be here right now, sampling, and everyone knows you can’t fight kismet.

I’ve no idea if I’m using the word ‘kismet’ correctly but I’m sure that’s the spirit of it. Sure enough anyway.

I place the muffin on top of a napkin before I dig a pen out of my handbag and smooth a second napkin out for note-taking. I’m just a girl enjoying her own company with a cup of coffee and a muffin, incognito-ing like a baller. I stuff a bit of muffin into my mouth and resume the search for the best life coaches in Las Vegas while I wait for Meghan’s to show up, because if tonight’s appointment goes well I’m totally getting my own coach.

Except.

Oh, holy hot damn, life coaches are popular. Real popular. I sip my coffee and work my way through the top ten list. The website for number one claims they have a one-year waiting list.

One. Year.

I toss my pen onto the table and sigh. Like I’m supposed to wait an entire year to get my life together? I’m no expert in life-ing but that doesn’t seem right. I move on to the website for number two, which claims they’re not accepting any new clients at this time. I can’t even get on the waiting list for number two.

Dumb.

Coach three is the same. I don’t care for the vibe of coaches four and five so I don’t bother checking their wait lists. Coach six is an attractive man who has no right coaching anything but my orgasms. So he’s out because I’m not paying for that.

I like number seven but… wait. Wait one minute. Is that price correct? I assumed they’d be expensive, but not that expensive. Who in the hell can afford that? Only a person with their life already together, that’s who. Kismet is stupid. Why did it cause me to want a muffin for dinner, stop at this specific coffee shop and stand in line behind Meghan while she was blabbing loudly enough for the entire shop to hear her if I wasn’t meant to get a life coach? Running out of Cheez-Its yesterday can’t possibly have been a coincidence either—it was the catalyst for this entire sequence of events.

I stuff another bite of muffin in my mouth while I ponder what all of this means, but then Meghan’s coach arrives so I decide to put my thinking aside while I focus on getting the most out of my sample appointment. That’s the point of a sample, right? Maybe life coaching is the worst and kismet only wanted me to start blow-drying my hair. Might as well find out.

Fifteen minutes later I have my answer. I’m sold. Meghan’s life coach is the best. She makes me want to be a better me. She makes me believe I can be a better me! I totally get why someone would want a life coach. I already feel calmer and more focused just from sampling Meghan’s session! So… I know I should probably leave now. I should. But I still haven’t solved the problem about how I’m going to pay for my own life coach, or even where to find one. It’s not as if I can stand up now, stop at their table and ask for a business card, can I?

I cannot.

So.

I’ll just stay a bit longer. A wee little bit. Or the entire hour.

It’s the most practical thing to do. Normally practicality isn’t my thing, so the fact that I’m willing to be practical feels like another sign, don’t you think? I do. I think it means I was meant to be right here, right now. Besides, it seems like Meghan and I have a lot in common. If I was a few years older, had a better wardrobe, took the time to blow-dry my hair, and could afford a life coach we’d practically be the same person. Admittedly that might be an overstatement based on fifteen minutes of sampling her life, but we’re similar enough. So it’s kinda like she’s helping her past self be her best self.

I pause and twist a lock of hair around my finger. Okay, yeah, that’s a stretch.

I stay anyway.

The rest of the session is just as life-changing as the first fifteen minutes. We’ve worked on identifying our key strengths and identifying new skills we’d like to develop. And the thing is, it feels really good to identify my strengths. I’ve got a lot of great qualities. For example, I’m spontaneous. That’s something Meghan is working on. I’m also really outgoing and great at going with the flow. Adaptable, is how Carol would classify it.

Next week we’re working on decision-making skills. It seems that Meghan has made some bad decisions, but there’s no judgment from me, because who hasn’t? Besides, Carol said that oftentimes bad decisions lead to good decisions, because we learn from our mistakes. She also said that bad outcomes are not always the results of bad decisions. She said sometimes the right decision still has a bad outcome through no fault of your own and it shouldn’t stop you from trying again.

I’m pretty sure they were talking about a condo she bought before moving to Las Vegas but the advice applies to all of the guys I dated in college as well. See how adaptable I am?

Carol is amazing.

Which makes me think, perhaps I should come back next week.

Because really, who’s to say how long a sample should last? Not me. I’m not the sample police.

I’m just a girl, sitting in a coffee shop, capitalizing on my strengths. Unlocking my life’s purpose. Expanding my comfort zones. Besides, this isn’t even the worst idea I’ve ever had. It’s not even the worst idea I’ve had this week, which is fine because bad ideas spark creativity. At least that’s what Carol said, and I really like that outlook so I’m adopting it.