When I met my now husband, then boyfriend, we moved from California to Seattle less than 4 months after dating. We were fresh out of college, had no job experience, and we were broke. Our first year was spent living in a studio apartment the size of box. Understandably so, we had a terrible time finding jobs in the first months. Our days were spent at a coffee shop, browsing the free internet and checking craigslist every two minutes.

Our luck changed after 4 months. TJ landed a job as the web producer for the Seattle Opera. He was in so far over his head, it now seems hilarious to think of all the things he didn’t know. Of course, he busted his butt and figured it out. Now four years later, he’s running the website ship.

Anyways, to my point . . .

One of the perks of his job is getting to go to the opera. As a girl I never thought I would get to go to such a performance. You see, rich people go to the opera. Older folks go to the opera. TJ and I, young studs straight out of school, we don’t do opera. And we didn’t.

It has taken 4 years of TJ working for the opera, and finally tonight, for the first time, I sat through the entire performance of The Marriage of Figaro. When I walked out the door I felt a sense of gratitude. I have taken for granted the 4 years that I have had access to such art. I have overlooked the benefit to seeing such performances. And because of my, “I have cooler things to do”attitude, I’ve missed out on La Boheme, Don Giovanni, Tosca, Carmen, Aida, and I could go on.

If you love opera, you want to smack me right now. And for the first time, I walked out of the opera and wanted to smack myself.
Point being, it’s never too late to change your mind. Learn to see things differently. And appreciate the things you've got.