How Can the Simplest Day Become Your Best Day?
Protecting our Inner Peace
Another day is so ordinary, but at the same time, so unique. Days like this remind me of the importance of simplicity and gratitude. We can have distant dreams galloping in our minds, consume our thoughts only on repressions, and even tend to believe with all our soul in ghosts of the past when at the same time all we have to do is to feel happy about the now that we live. To feel proud of who we are, and what we have and have not achieved, to finally embrace the wholeness that governs us, accepting that we will always be imperfect. Because we were simply born to be imperfect. But let me put my thoughts in order by recounting how my day unfolded today.
You may say what an absurd way of writing, presenting my conclusions in the preface. You’re right, but I’m a hurricane when I write. When I put my soul into words, then I, unfortunately, lose in the human game of rules, since its momentum is such that my soul ultimately moves the ink on the paper.
Wakey Wakey
The alarm clock rang when I used my hand to clean up the saliva as it ran from my mouth. You see, I have a crooked septum, and because of that; I consider it a blessing on days when my nose is not stuffy. So having been living with this particular problem for a few years now, the wet pillow has become a sign of a good night’s sleep.
As soon as the eye opened, I gathered my body and poured some water on it. The body was writhing, and the brain was slowly waking up. I knew today I had a long day ahead of me. I made a coffee, put Lo-Fi beats on the TV, and after forcing myself into a study mood I opened a 1000-page book on my desk called “Elements of Machinery”. I admit that the thickness of the book is particularly daunting, but it is an obligation, and I have now learned to treat obligations with the seriousness they deserve. I am proud of the discipline and consistency I have managed to build up. A discipline that was obviously not built overnight.
For those who do not know, I am studying production engineering and management at the Polytechnic University of Crete. It is a demanding school that includes a wide variety of education, ranging from theoretical mathematics and physics of engineering to forecasting in production lines and marketing. Like any student who doesn’t really know where they are going, I started the first few years of school numb, but now I am entering my final year of school owing only 4 courses.
May my Mother be Well, who Spoiled me
So getting to this advantageous position took many frowns from my mother, and many moments of questioning my abilities, as failures tend to come in bunches. Anyway, through these years I grew and matured enough to learn that every goal requires sweat and that every goal gives you a unique journey of experiences. I wouldn’t exactly call my journey in “Elements of Machinery” unique, but you get my point. Let me be romantic and literary. It comes naturally to me, really!
After reading for an hour, suddenly my stomach started growling. In a whispered voice, I heard my mother sneaking into my mind saying, “Quickly go get something to eat, you’ll be half a portion as thin as you are!” Immediately I opened the fridge, empty. Frustrated, I ran to Lidl, where I stocked up on bread, cheese, fresh orange juice, and potatoes. I put the braised veal in the oven, and fried potatoes, while rap music played in the house. The room smelled of oil. I sang, and my mind raced to beautiful moments that I had missed. Glycerias’ face lit up then, and I quickly reached for my phone to answer her messages. She complains, but I can’t be on my phone all the time. I feel like all the power of social media is consuming me, so on my productive days I avoid using it much.
The Incomparable Beauty of Nature
After licking my lips and swallowing the last potato, I went back to my office, where I studied for another two hours. With plenty of breaks in between! So when I understood all about the gears and the bending of the tooth at the point of contact with the wheels, I looked up and saw the most beautiful sunset. It is truly remarkable how even the power of the sun is weakening. As soon as I stepped out onto the porch, my eyes did not dare to focus on the orange planet that dominated the middle of the sea. But in the end, as the sun was hiding behind mountain peaks, my eye even mocked him! As long as I was admiring nature, I was reading and interacting with other writers of the Medium. In fact, I read many poems that glorified these minor details.
And as your words charmed me, so the shadows were drawn from the earth and rose timidly into the sky. The crescent moon rose and the melodious birds flew away to warmer places. In fact, I got so absorbed in the art of life that we writers try so hard to frame, that I forgot I had to go to the gym. With friends, we trained back and biceps. We talked about anything that could be discussed, laughed a lot, and sweated a little. A lot, I mean a lot!
And here I am right now as I write this article. I just got back from the gym, and I’m waiting for the water to heat up. My day, my dear readers, was so simple but at the same time so full of healthy habits. Our inner peace does not need expensive whims, parties, drinks, and drugs. These pleasures are good and I’m not saying that… except from drugs, of course! But our peace is us, the way we will accept our loneliness and how, at the end of each day, we will manage to love ourselves.
