Five to nine in the morning. I sit in a cafe looking out of the window at the rain. A slow drizzle floats endlessly down, warm and quiet. Outside it smelt of green things and growth, inside it is coffee mixed with deodorant from the business people surrounding me. The quiet clink and hiss from the counter mixes with the surrounding conversation. They talk in upbeat words like return on investment, niche markets and publicly perceived image. I have no public image today, it is my day off, I just sit quietly and write.
For a long time now I have thought that I do not have a work ethic, that somehow I was born without that compulsory requirement to modern society. But sitting here it occurs to me that I do, it is just not the same one that I am surrounded by.
Money. As deals are made and game plans play out, the underlying theme here is money. Making money and then making more money. All of it to buy things. I don’t want things, I am as happy here with a seven dollar coffee and scone as I would be looking at a shiny new Porsche outside my house. Time is what is important to me. I work to make time to do things, not to buy things.
My whole life has been an attempt to work as little as possible to make myself as much time as possible. I might just use that time to sit and look at the rain, but to me that is what is important no matter how much of a waste it would seem to those around me if they only knew my thoughts. They might say they are working now to make money so that they will have time in the future. But who knows what the future will bring, I would rather have my time now especially as I do not believe that after a lifetime devoted to making money you can suddenly stop, retiring as it is usually called and is the death of a lot of people. No I enjoy what I have now, little as it may be it is much much more than I should think those around me have. Far from being one of life’s losers I have just realised that I am very lucky to be this way.
No wonder people think I live on a different planet . . . I do.
Life is never dull when you make time for a cup of coffee . . .
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4 comments:
Ha ha, excellent Pater. I like the "time now" concept too.
That cup of coffee does look wonderful, I can almost taste it.
I drink gallons of Folgers at work and forget what a truly good cup of coffee is.
This post has made me laugh, as I was piecing together a similar post today! When did everyone jump on the work bandwagon?
guilty here - It was that comment of yours (your psychiatrists) about having to just get on with things that started me thinking - we all accept that as true, but why? and is it?
looking forward to your post
(off to google folgers now)
peter
"off to google folgers now" ((smiling))
yes, there are a few of us inhabiting these other worlds, and living Life. thank goodness!
and that makes me want another coffee.
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