Some days you mop. You have to mop. The floor is filthy and has little bits of things caked here and there. Sort of… gummy specks?
Some days the sun is shining and the birds sing and you don’t have to go into work. The park calls but you have to wait in line at the post office to send off your passport renewal. A man leaning on the blue table for people to sign packing slips drums a hip-hop beat on the package he’s going to mail. You’re the only person in the long, long line bobbing your head.
Some days the world calls and adventure awaits — another begging addict to interview or fantastically weird storefront to stumble into. But geez, what the hell happened to the sink? Oh, that’s from when you scrubbed the broiler pan. Yeah, after the steaks. That’s just ugly in the sink. Mottled and, screw it. Time to scrub.
Scrub scrub. That’s now a shiny sink. And you had to vacuum before you mopped. The living room still needs to be… oh man, I told her I would meet them at 3:30. Is that streak still there on the… no, deal with that later. It’s time to shower.
At least you got out on the bike to get to your meeting. And you interviewed three professional “graphic recorders” for the site. That’s something, right?
Some days you have a bike and sunshine, an interview with three graphic recorders in the bank, an oyster of a world and you head right back home. You don’t even return the library book or deposit the paycheck at the bank. You play “Test Subject Complete” before it’s time to catch the bus to your girl’s place.
Once there, you have fajitas and watch an episode of “Castle” on Hulu. It’s a delightful show.
Some days you get up early to interview a lawyer for a project your boss wants. And some days you run errands after that. And some days you scrub and vacuum and moan about the outdoors passing you by but you can’t really complain because instead of seeking adventure the night before when you were free, you caught up on season seven of “Doctor Who.”
Some days you wonder if you’re missing too much of life by running around trying to capture 1,001 stories of a city, of trying to look for a soul in what was always a municipal jurisdiction. Some days you feel terrible about living a life instead of just charting the lives of others.
But screw that. Some days you have to mop. And “Castle” is a delightful show, as is “Doctor Who.” Fajitas are delicious. The company was fantastic.
It’s OK to waste some time reading the Dr. McNinja archives on a day off rather than leaping headlong into the world around. It’s OK to create a chore list with the roommate and snack on some of the assorted mixed nuts she bought from Costco.
You can have a normal day with no weirdness or exploration, aside from some very nice graphic recorders who will be featured in an upcoming story. It’s OK not to set the world on fire. It’s fine if you want to relax and enjoy your simple, ordinary life and the pleasant thrill of maintaining it.
Some days you mop. And some days nothing makes you happier.
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