Same Ol’ Situation 

[aux_dropcap style=”classic”]P[/aux_dropcap]icture it: you wake up, you brush your teeth, you make your coffee, and you go to work. Lather, rinse, repeat. Day after day, it’s the same old story. But let me tell you, there’s a reason they call it the “grind.” It’s because, beneath the surface of that seemingly never-ending cycle of monotony, there is a hidden beauty, just waiting to be discovered – like a diamond in the rough.

So come along with me, won’t you? I am on a journey, my dears, to become a better person. A journey to document my efforts and see what I can find in the banality of everyday life. Through writing my efforts to become a better person, I hope to find the beauty and potential for growth that can be found in my daily routine.

Just Another Mundane Monday

The day started delightfully. I decided to wallow in nagging self-pity for a bit but eventually dragged myself out of bed. I felt inflated and near bursting—like something between an overblown Macy’s Thanksgiving Day balloon and a cheap carnival prize. The scale confirmed my suspicions. The fatigue and dehydration left me feeling deflated, and the dreary weather didn’t help.

The sky was blanketed in grey clouds, and a light drizzle tapped against the window. Its rat-a-tat desperately drummed the soundtrack of my guilty conscious like it was trying to get my attention. My mood was probably affected by the low barometric pressure, which decreased oxygen and serotonin levels.

[aux_quote type=”pullquote-normal” text_align=”left” quote_symbol=”1″ float=””]The endorphins, those elusive little beasts, finally deigned to grace me with their presence. I felt a sense of accomplishment as if I had overcome the gloomy weather and doomy pity party.[/aux_quote]

 I attempted to rally, donning my workout clothes like an umbrella against the depressive elements. And to my surprise, my breath was steady; the exertions were less arduous than the last time. The endorphins, those elusive little beasts, finally deigned to grace me with their presence. I felt a sense of accomplishment as if I had overcome the gloomy weather and doomy pity party.

With the endorphins still lingering, I decided to add a ten-minute yoga set to my workout routine. The stretching and mindfulness helped to clear my mind, like a fresh breeze blowing away the clouds, and left me feeling rejuvenated and re-energized.

Nothing else was working, though. The new portable washer/dryer unit we tested caused significant damage to our clothes, such as stretching and tearing fabric. It failed to properly clean them, leaving them tangled and covered in lint. It was another harsh reminder that even the most mundane things can go awfully awry. It may have been a sign to roll with the punches. Or perhaps it was a sign to throw in the proverbial towel, leave the laundry for another day, and just curl up on the sofa with a soft blanket and a book, pretending that the world outside doesn’t exist.

My January book club selection was The Revolutionary: Samuel Adams by Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Stacy Schiff. NPR describes the book as “presenting a new examination of the Founding Father most remembered as the guy on the beer bottle… but was really, at heart, one of the most visionary leaders of the American Revolution.” The book was a glimmer of hope in the darkness of my day, a beacon calling me to delve into the tumultuous, tempestuous world of Samuel Adams and his revolutionary vision. 

Monday Takeaways: On a day of merciless rain, the weather reminded me that life’s minutiae shouldn’t drag us under. Like a lone figure trudging through the deluge, we must forge ahead and find refuge in the things that lift our spirits – physical exertion, literary pursuits, or delving into history’s lessons. These serve as a guiding light to keep pushing through the storm.

Groundhog Tuesday

Tuesday saw me rising from slumber with a modicum of improved spirits, and, lo and behold, the scale had mercifully dropped a smidge. 

The sky was a brilliant blue, and fluffy clouds dotted the horizon like a collection of meringue kisses. The vision was a marked contrast to the previous day’s dreary deluge and seemed to hold the promise of a better day. 

I pushed myself further on the elliptical, the exertion feeling invigorating rather than arduous. I added a second set of yoga, stretching my limbs and finding inner strength.

My partner and I made another trip to the storage space, a labyrinth of boxes and forgotten treasures. We unearthed the last of our shoes, buried deep in the depths, and I finally laid hands on my Martin guitar, a long-missed companion. 

We spent the rest of the evening in domestic pursuits – tidying, adorning our walls with photographs, and purging yet another file cabinet, creating a sense of spaciousness in our living quarters and minds. 

[aux_quote type=”pullquote-normal” text_align=”left” quote_symbol=”1″ float=””]Like a detective piecing together clues, I meticulously organized and labeled each section of a template for project documentation. I was determined to streamline my portfolio workflow process and bring some order to the chaos of my creative endeavors.[/aux_quote]

With the domestic tasks out of the way, I turned my attention to more professional pursuits. Like a detective piecing together clues, I meticulously organized and labeled each section of a template for project documentation. I was determined to streamline my portfolio workflow process and bring some order to the chaos of my creative endeavors. I’m still in the early stages of developing this project, but it feels good to get back to designing.

With all that was accomplished, I still managed to sneak in a bit more reading of my January book club selection, delving deeper into the turbulent world of Samuel Adams and his revolutionary vision.

 Though I’m not quite back to my old routine, I feel more optimistic and productive, like a caterpillar slowly but surely transforming into a butterfly. Taking even the smallest step forward is a victory in its own right.

Tuesday Takeaways: Some days are like a never-ending loop of Groundhog Day, with nothing to distinguish one from the next. But, on days like these, I find solace in the monotony. The muscle memory of routine and the comfort of familiar habits provide a sense of stability and purpose. It’s almost as if I’m in a trance, going through the motions without care. And, as mundane as it may seem, there’s a certain contentment. It’s like finding beauty in the banality of life.

Wednesday Woes

The morning started rough, with Hurricane Hersey wreaking havoc on the apartment, and I felt like I had been hit by a truck that had been whipped about in her storm. In the aftermath, I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, listening to the purring of my feline destructors. Sleep was as elusive, so I dragged myself out of bed and attempted to start my day early.

I tried to run the air fryer and coffee machine simultaneously, but they kept blowing a fuse. After 3 attempts, I finally sat down with a cup of coffee, feeling like a failure in the kitchen. The weather was not as dismal as Monday but more overcast than Tuesday—it seemed to be yo-yo-ing as much as my weight this past month. I finished my language lessons 3 hours earlier than usual, and then I hit the elliptical machine like a champ. Still, it was as much a punishment for my recent inactivity as it was a workout.

[aux_quote type=”pullquote-normal” text_align=”left” quote_symbol=”1″ float=””]I spent much of Wednesday afternoon alternating between icing and heating my sore muscles like a boxer between rounds.[/aux_quote]

I realized that I must have pulled or strained a muscle sometime in the last 3 days, between getting back to my cardio and lugging cumbersome items back home from storage. I felt what I thought was a cramp on Monday, but I knew it was something more by Tuesday night. I spent much of Wednesday afternoon alternating between icing and heating my sore muscles like a boxer between rounds. Still, despite the spasms and being as balanced as a drunk elephant on a tightrope, I completed two yoga sets. I had hoped for three, but it was probably for the better so that I didn’t strain my pull (or pull my strain) even more.

Wednesday Takeaways: Wednesday reminded me that life can be unpredictable, even when I think I’ve got it all figured out. I am not as invincible as I think; my body will always let me know when I’ve been neglecting it. But most importantly, it taught me the valuable lesson of balance in terms of physical activity and household appliances… . Oh, and my young cat is a little bundle of destruction to be reckoned with. As the saying goes, “That which doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” So, thank you, Wednesday, for these valuable life lesson reminders.

Silver Linings

Oh, joy, another delightful week filled with a trifecta of terribleness: my dear old demons, Mother Nature’s temper tantrums, and appliances that just love to break down at the most inconvenient times. But as Dorothy Parker once said, “I can’t complain, but sometimes I still do.” I found salvation by sweating it out on the elliptical, pretending to be zen, and escaping into the pages of a book. The monotony of routine and clinging to the same old habits were a comfort, indeed. And let’s not forget the great lesson learned – that even on the sh*ttiest days, there’s always a glimmer of hope. Or something like that. But really, I just got through it all by gritting my teeth and bearing it.

But enough about my thrilling life; let’s move on to the real meat of this piece – my failed attempts at making it attractive through my writing. I have been documenting my days and experiences throughout the week, but everything I write is so damned boring. I’ve been going through the motions, trying to find the silver lining in the mundane, but it’s like searching for a needle in a haystack. I’ve been trying to add humor and wit to spice things up, but it’s like making a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. It’s not that my life is uneventful; it’s just that it all seems so unremarkable when I put it on paper. I imagine readers rolling their eyes at my attempts at wit, and I can’t help but agree. 

[aux_quote type=”pullquote-normal” text_align=”left” quote_symbol=”1″ float=””]Let’s face it, not every word I scribble will be a literary masterpiece, but that’s okay. Perhaps the secret is to experiment with different techniques and styles until I find the one that works for me and find the humor, wit, and fresh perspective in everyday experiences.[/aux_quote]

Oh, the joys of delving into one’s mind and spilling the contents onto paper. A task that can only be described as a Herculean effort made even more delightful by the added pressure of making it enjoyable for others to read. But, as with all things, practice makes… well, not perfect, but passable. Let’s face it, not every word I scribble will be a literary masterpiece, but that’s okay. Perhaps the secret is to experiment with different techniques and styles until I find the one that works for me and find the humor, wit, and fresh perspective in everyday experiences.

So, I will continue to scribble, experiment, and document my unremarkable days, and maybe, just maybe, I’ll find the wit and charm that eludes me now to eventually turn my ramblings into readable prose.

So, dear readers, I implore you: don’t simply roll your eyes at my mundane musings. Instead, take a cue from my struggles and find your own silver linings in the everyday. And, for the love of all that is holy, live a little, take risks, and for goodness sake, make something out of that sow’s ear of life.