Workshopping Gratitude

“Oh hey, wouldn’t you know, looks like the gratitude workshop’s getting started,” you say with a **** chuckle. “How about we take a listen to what they have to say?”

Although awkward, your change of topic somehow does the trick, temporarily defusing the tension between the two girls. Brooke and Jennifer reserve a final glare for each other before they follow you, arms crossed, to take your places in the group gathered before the speaker.

The person at the podium is a pudgy, pasty woman who looks something north of forty. She’s dressed in a vaguely ethnic shawl that’s just plain enough to duck any accusations of cultural appropriation. She has some nasty looking green smoothie in one hand, a microphone loosely held in her other. This is a classic university administrator if you’ve ever seen one.

“Namaste, friends, thank you for coming to today’s gratitude workshop. Before we begin, let’s all take a moment of silence to acknowledge that the land we’re standing on—or sitting on, no judgment for the differently abled here!—yes, that this land that we’re all on… It was stolen from the Powhatan and the…” She pauses, coughing, saying something like “Cheyenne”, but it really could be anything.

Everyone stares at her expectantly, but it seems that’s it. This is the moment of silence.

“I hate her guts already,” Jennifer mutters under her breath.

“Did she really just forget the name of the tribe and try to fake it?” Brooke whispers, giving you an incredulous look.

“And I’m 99% sure the Cheyenne never lived anywhere close to here,” Jennifer says.

“What an absolute fraud,” you whisper back.

The girls nod along, until they realize that they’re both in agreement, and then they both give each other strong looks. You pretend not to notice. Most people gathered around are having hushed conversations, while the woman up front frowns, her lips twitching.

“Friends, friends, let’s try to keep it down. We are trying to be respectful. The theme of today’s workshop is gratitude, not disrespect.”

“Damn, we’re not here to learn to disrespect?” you say quietly. “Could’ve fooled me.”

That earns you a few giggles from the girls, but luckily, the woman up front doesn’t seem to notice.

“When we go about life, we often get caught up in all sorts of crazy, stressful situations,” the woman continues. “But it turns out, studies show that simply taking a moment and expressing gratitude can make your day much better! So let’s all take a minute and think of something that we’re grateful for. For example, I’m grateful for these organic Green Dream smoothies—” she takes a big drink from it, leaving green residue on her lips “—they must be why I haven’t gotten cancer yet! Hahaha.” You notice nobody is laughing along with her. You and Brooke share a glance. “Okay. Everybody, quiet now, and take a minute to think of something that you’re grateful for, and share it with somebody next to you!”

This time, the room falls into genuine silence as people ponder what things they have in life to be grateful for. For you, lots of things come to mind immediately: a loving family (well, mostly. Gina’s a notable exception, and Lisa… who knows when it comes to her. But at least your parents are pretty good. Most of the time.), a school that you enjoy (well, mostly. Classes can be a lot, and your psych prof’s a real work of art. But mostly things are good.), hot girls in abundance… {if The Count > 0} and you’ve even gotten to fuck some of them. {else} and you’re well on you’re way to fucking some of them. {endif} That’s got to be a pretty swell life, eh?

Just then, the sound of chattering from others interrupts your thoughts. You see Jennifer and Brooke both looking at you expectantly.

“Guess it’s time to say our thanks,” you say, holding out your hands as if you’re about to say grace. Jennifer and Brooke both get the idea, and you soon feel two hands slip into yours. You give them each a squeeze, feeling them squeeze back in turn, and you smile. “Who wants to share first?”

From the smirk on Jennifer’s face, you realize that she’s got something to say, and you nod at her.

“I’m grateful that I’m not her,” Jennifer says, nodding up towards the podium.

Brooke bursts out laughing. “You stole the words right out of my mouth!”

“Good one,” you chuckle.

“More seriously though,” Jennifer says. “I’m grateful for… for my tablet. It lets me express myself in a way that nothing else can. So much of what I want to say never comes out right when I use words, but when it comes to making art… it’s like I can suddenly make myself known.”

You and Brooke both nod thoughtfully.

“I’m grateful for my paintbrushes, too,” she says. “I couldn’t live without them. If I’m happy, it seems like they take a life of their own, capturing the magic of the moment. Or if I’m sad, they do that too, but it somehow makes everything seem more beautiful or… or poetic at the same time, y’know?”

To your surprise, that too gets a sympathetic nod from Jennifer, and you smile.

“Kind of like how a good sad song can pick you up when you’re feeling down,” you say. “Except, you two are actually talented and can make the song.”

“You’re the real song-maker here,” Jennifer says, nudging you with her shoulder.

“Wait, really? You make music?” Brooke says, seeming to look at you in a new light.

“I dabble a bit,” you laugh. “But I can’t draw for my life.”

“You should listen to his stuff sometime,” Jennifer says. “It’s seriously good.”

“I didn’t even know you knew my stuff,” you say, looking at Jennifer.

“I… I mean, once I figured out that I already had some of your songs on my playlists, I guess I thought it would be creepy to bring it up?” she says.

“Now I’ve got to check out your stuff!” Brooke says.

“It’s pretty modern,” you say. “I’m not sure if… if they would fit your taste.”

“I can be open-minded,” Brooke says.

“Uh-huh,” Jennifer says, and then Brooke blushes, self-conscious.

“Maybe I’m too quick to judge sometimes,” she says. “But I guess… not everything new is bad.”

Jennifer looks like she’s about to gloat, and you’re about to chide her, when instead she turns to you and says: “I don’t think you’ve shared what you’re grateful for yet.”

“Oh, me?” you say. “I’m grateful for a lot.” You quickly try to remember what you were thinking of earlier.

Hot girls. No, that won’t do. But maybe…

“I’m grateful to have met both of you,” you say.

“Aww,” Jennifer says, and you catch Brooke smiling at the both of you.

That’s when you notice that Brooke and Jennifer are both still holding your hand. And at some point in the last few minutes, they started holding each other’s hands too.

Brooke +10
Jennifer +10