Instead of jogging in a thunderstorm this morning, I thought it wise to use the time to finally return to blogging. I don't have anything particularly insightful to say, but I am realizing things about myself that bear repeating in case they're normal and you wonder if they're not. Many people say that I'm boring or pedantic, pedestrian or puritanical, but I really think it boils down to the fact that I'm a man in an adult body who acts like it. Adulthood is full of routine and responsibility, something that even people much older than I seem desperate to avoid, and I know that my life costs me opportunities because I take my responsibilities seriously. Since the start of fall term, however, I have found myself feeling almost every day as if I had a good day without anything spectacular or remarkable happening. Especially as we think of people reeling from disasters in Houston and Montana, I find that a few simple things each day make me feel like I really did have a great day. All it takes for me is to find a quarter in a vending machine abandoned by a student, successfully evacuate in the bathroom, and see a beautiful woman. I now that standard may seem small, but each of these things symbolizes something much bigger and helps me remember just how blessed I am.
For me, the quarter represents symbolically a "profitable" day. I mean, a quarter isn't worth much, but they're usually shiny, and it is something tangible that I can hold that made me "richer" that day. When my paycheck finally arrives, it will dwarf the quarter by a great amount, but for now, I hold something in my hand that is worth something. Many days, particularly over summer term when we run fewer classes and host fewer students and I find myself reading books in my office and listening to the radio, I feel a much lower sense of satisfaction with the day, as if it profited me nothing. If they are honest, I think most people desire their lives to have meaning, purpose, and value, and so in a visible way when I find a quarter I know that my life produced something of value that day. I looked back through my journal before bed from this same time in 2011, and I mused on the fact that I'm still really experiencing the same things, which means the lessons aren't really sinking in. Maybe my days aren't as valuable because I still haven't learned from them. Maybe just like most of these quarters were actually made years ago just like those memories I can finally learn something valuable from the past.
I know that a "successful evacuation" may seem like a very odd thing to celebrate let alone mention on a blog, but for me it shows me information about my physical state. As long as I remember, I've needed corrective lenses and I still struggle against stubborn belly fat, but for the most part I am in fantastic health. I know that good health is a form of wealth not universally enjoyed. I spoke yesterday to a friend from Miami to make sure she evacuated in advance of the hurricane, and I know that she hasn't really been able to use her legs since she was 14. She is in almost constant pain, and I can't really empathize because I'm actually a picture of health myself. Ok, so I'll never make it on a pinup calendar or Mr. Universe contestant, but I have all my limbs and faculties and could go running this morning if I wanted. I decided not to tempt fate and lightning just to stick to my routine. Some people can't make that choice because they are sick or wounded, halt or maimed, blind or deaf. Additionally, the quality of my evacuation tells me about my metabolism and my diet, and I can gauge whether I put something in my body that doesn't belong.
As we go through life and experience trials, sometimes we lose sight of the wonderful, beautiful, amazing things around us. Part of why I travel is to see the works Thy hands have made, the majestic vistas, sunsets, storms, and species that really cover the globe. It is a wonderful, beautiful world. Yes there is ugly and evil and difficult, but each day, I count it a success to see a beautiful woman, even if she doesn't see or acknowledge me. I saw something beautiful that day, and it reminds me that beauty does and can exist everywhere, anywhere, anytime. Maybe you find this shallow, but when I see beautiful women I thank God for creating something beautiful to "please the eye and gladden the heart". Sometimes it takes longer than i like to see one, which is odd considering the plethora of young and attractive women that I could encounter on a college campus, but the last few weeks since the semester started, I have caught myself taking stock of these three things and counting it a good day. There is beauty all around. There is beauty in every life, in every person, and some of the women probably don't believe they are as beautiful as they are. That doesn't mean their comportment matches their countenance, but it catches my eye and allows me to say that I saw something beautiful even when I don't travel, and even when I'm confined to my office, lab or building during the entire daylight portion.
Leonardo da Vinci is credited as saying "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication". I live a simple life. Maybe you would consider it boring. Maybe you disagree. That's ok. I decided back in 2011 that I was ready for simple. I look for these three simple measurements of the day, and when they are met, I raise my eyes and my voice in prayer and thank God for a great day. I found something valuable, I register and remember my good health, and I celebrate something beautiful. That is actually, at least for me, a pretty good day. It enriches my wallet, my health, and my senses. At the end of the week when I'm tired, sometimes I feel like it's a pretty low standard, but simple isn't necessarily inferior. I have a simple life but a satisfactory one. "My needs are small, I buy them all at the five and ten cent store. Oh I've got plenty to be thankful for", and I am thankful. I don't need the sensory stimulation of others or the fat paychecks or nonstop entertainment. When it rained earlier this week, I actually took some time to sit out in a chair and just watch the drops wet the pavement. Simple may not be sophisticated to some, but it's satisfying to me.
