042. Little Things
If you do not see the beauty in the little things, you might never find the of beauty.
Most days are near replicas of other days. The same drive to work, same speed bumps, and the same turns leading to the same destination you will likely spend majority of your life. Maybe every few years, you get a new car but, over time, it just becomes the same car you have grown used to driving down the same route.
Sure, when everything is new, there is the wonder of novelty. You try everything on the menus from the restaurants near your workplace until eventually, you have a weekly meal routine. Mondays here, Tuesdays there, and every other Thursday at that other place you like so that you can maintain a level of novelty. Overtime, your days all start to taste the same.
The colleagues who were once so mysterious all grow familiar. The conversations that were spent getting to know each other become recaps of last night's episodes. You can predict everyone's reactions to announcements and changes in the office. Eventually, you would be able to make a game of bingo you would always win based off of the sameness of each day, week or month.
Novelty is rare, once it has been experienced, it seizes to be novel and that is life.
Today, obsessing over yet another sunset, my mother noted that I obsess over nothing. To that I responded, 'if you do not see the beauty in the little things, you will never find the beauty in anything. You will spend your whole life waiting for moments that may never come and if they do, their beauty might be lost on you.'
At points in my life, I have found myself feeling trapped in the monotony of life. Wishing there was more to experience as I left my life offered little to nothing to enjoy. Though I found the relationships in my life enriching, I struggled to enjoy my life hoping someday, my life would be more. Every day felt like 'oh, this again', just hoping for a break in the cycle. Then, change occurred.
One would imagine the change would warrant lifted spirits but eventually, I longed for my past life and grew tired of the new monotony. For a moment the newness was what I had hoped until it eventually lost its novelty. At some point, I had to stop seeking newness, and accept that newness can only last so long. In time, newness becomes routine. Without routine, there simply would be no sense of stability in life.
Have you ever noticed that no two sunsets are the same?
Letting go of the chase of newness opened up a world of novelty in the monotony. On the same drive to work, I began to notice that there were days when the traffic would start at different points. I started to notice the familiar faces that stood at certain corners if I made it out of the house at certain times. Even noticed other cars I shared routes with, wondered if I could somehow get their attention, would I be able to arrange some sort of carpool situation. I was able to notice slight changes - a traffic light running slower than usual, new sounds on the car before they got too expensive.
More time spent with colleagues meant I could tell if someone had a rough start to their day. Notice when a colleague came in later than usual, perhaps they got their hair done, wore a new shirt, or trying a new shade of lipstick.
Over time, that reliability begins to offer tiny little moments of newness. You notice when the chef at your Tuesday lunch place tries something new with your usual order. Eventually, you begin to notice the different colours each new sunset offers; the oranges, pinks, purples and greys. You notice how you have never looked at a specific section of the sky when the sun was setting and it becomes your obsession. You begin to wonder what the section might look like on different days so, every day, you wait for the sunset hoping the see what you saw yesterday but are met with newness.
The big moments in life rare. Perhaps, they come often. When they are rare, they are celebrated, enough of them over time, they disappear among the sea of little moments and lose the novelty that makes them grand.
If you learn to see the beauty of the life moments, life's beauty will never be lost on you.
Thank you dear reader for your time. I did my best today and as tired as I am, I exited to end the day knowing I have done all I can. I hope you are back her tomorrow for another day towards the halfway line.
