Keep it Positive!

My daughter loves the movie and the stage musical "Legally Blonde".  I loved the movie, but I haven't seen the play because when I sprung for two tickets when it came to Chicago, I gave them to my daughter and her friend.  She's very big on soundtracks though, so I've heard it many times.  The one song I remember best is called "Keep it Positive" and I've been singing it for the past two days.  It's kind of stuck in my head.  I told you a few days back that a friend had started a 30 Days of Positive Thinking Challenge and invited me to join in.  I think that song is my way of reminding myself that I signed on and don't want to be a quitter.

I suffered a huge disappointment this week and am trying really hard not to let it bring me down.  I won't say whether I've been successful or not, but today I was.  I attended the Mexican Independence Day celebration in Little Village (Chicago) and had a great time.  We started off with breakfast at the beautiful restaurant, Mi Tierra.  It's bright, happy and colorful.  Like REALLY bright, happy and colorful:

See?  No coffee needed.

We met some new friends and had a lengthy and enjoyable conversation with a (very handsome, not that I was looking) guy from Spain and a couple who came down from Minnesota on the Megabus to visit for the weekend.  They were a completely friendly and engaging group, and the lady sitting next to me told me about her life growing up in Mexico, going to school in France and finally settling down in Minnesota, of all places.  It's been her home for 40 years.  We stayed talking after nearly everyone else was gone.  Then on to the real party...the parade!  Mariachis, dancers, floats, horses, children and clowns--speaking of which, there are clowns...

 And then there is Bozo!!

No shortage of cute kids...

Floats filled with musicians, beauty queens, politicians and regular everyday citizens, enjoying a few minutes of fame on a bright, sunny day. 

And of course, there was the crowd.  I folded myself into the crowd, completely forgetting that I had very little knowledge of what was being said.  At this celebration, there was no real need for words...the music, the smiles and the energy  of the people, myself included, said it all.  Today, I kept it positive.