I peacefully slept the entire night, even though none of my favorite football teams played in Sunday’s Super Bowl, and then the team I picked from nothing more than the romance of past Super Bowl parties, lost.  This morning’s sun was bright and warm, a cherished event on this portion of the coast.  The coffee spouse brewed filled the air with that special aroma of deeply roasted coffee beans, so closely akin to the smell of a deep, rich chocolate.

This, I determined was an excellent beginning to a very busy week.  After flipping through the newspaper I toted my coffee to the computer, listened to it sing to me with its electronic beeps and boinks.  I scanned through my emails and opened one referencing a non-profit fundraiser I am currently coordinating.

Now this event is a complete change from past events.  It’s in the daytime, does not involve a complicated dinner and silent auction, it is family friendly, and it is in a different venue.  It’s a soup competition between some of the best kitchens and chefs in the hood.  Event participants love the idea and our volunteer planning committee is creative and bright.  We sense we have a winner in the works.

The email read:  “Who wants to spend $50 and eat soup all afternoon.  What a shame you are not continuing in the same traditional manner and having another wonderful evening fundraiser event, overlooking the…cove.”   (The event is less than $50.)

A troll struck my email box.  I don’t even know who the person is, although he did sign his name to the email.

It’s just so darn easy to shoot a nasty email through cyberspace. The Irish-tempered angel on one shoulder said, “Give it back to him with both fists.”  But I am a professional (having led many upon many non-profit fundraising events) and I listened to the angel of light and wisdom gently poking me with her wing.  She chanted, “Stay above it. Stay above it.” 

I sipped some coffee and wondered why someone would attack without knowledge of exactly what we are doing and why.  “Well,” began angel of light and wisdom, “that’s the point.  He might be in a rut and can’t accept change. Or, like you he picked the loosing football team.”

And then a blog based on a 90-Day No Negativity theme came to mind.  And I also remembered why I created a blog called The Daily Prism  where I daily post the good that people do.  It’s an attempt to find balance between the daily forces than can raise one’s blood pressure or push them away from seeking and living faith.  When the world seems awhirl in violence and mean people, I understand that there are plenty of people who avoid boisterous acclamations and PR agencies, and quietly go about healing, helping and bringing about daily sparks of light.

Yet that paragraph sounds so cool, tempered and wise, when I’m hardly there.  I mean, my Irish-tempered angel is a willful and determined being.  It’s easier to attack back, but less rewarding–or so that other angel just made me write.

Unknowingly to the e-mail troll, while he tempted my Irish-tempered angel, that angel is not entirely about the fight.  She’s about focus and energy.  A focused energy surged through me, I went down into my office, AKA the cave, and produced an organized event to-do list, wrote seven letters, assembled phone numbers and names to contact tomorrow.

Gee, I wonder what would happen if the e-mail troll and I each pick a winning Super Bowl team next year?