Leaf in the wind

A short story about the comfort zone, freedom, hunger for uncertainty. The leaf in the wind is the effect of a desire for lack of control.

In fact, I am against the attitude “live each day as if it were your last”. It’s too pretentious and lacks planning, which is of course necessary. The idea, among others, is to avoid routine and experience something new. Yet for all of us, work and daily commitments are pretty static and unchanging. So, when I did not have much time left while I was finishing these two, I decided to do something new, to try it in a different, totally crazy way.

When talking about the term “crazy”, there’s not much to explain why it has its positive side. In fact, it is a combination of the attributes “creative” and “fun”. You can only be “crazy” if you do something out of the ordinary, which people do not notice in others and find interesting, and of course, you have to be original.

For this reason, I made a list of what I wanted to do on my next day off from work. A day without an alarm clock, phone, and watch that will be out of reach. When I wake up, time starts ticking, and I need to fill my list with things I have never done as much as possible. The bed is ready, the bathroom chores are done. Now, what to do? Something new? I turn around: “I do not see anything I can do in my apartment that I have not already done.”

Comfort zone

I have to get out of my comfort zone somehow. Out of pure frustration and lack of creativity, the first new thing was salted coffee. At least I laughed to myself, and yes, I don’t recommend you try it. Thinking about what else to do in the morning, I try to think in a way “what others do and I don’t”. For example, I never read news from the newspaper, but from a laptop. I go outside to get them. By the way, I’m not fascinated by my ideas in the morning.

Locking the apartment I look at my right hand where the keys are, and the left on the lock I thought, “why does it have to be like this”? And I do the opposite way. After the newspaper was taken and along the way a magazine as well that I had never heard of, I sat in the car and braked with my left foot when I stopped. What a weirdness. Be sure to try this.

It would take you a long time to guess where I decided to read the newspaper. On a bench next to the lions at the zoo. I still have an annual ticket. After dropping the newspaper, which should be called the Black Chronicle, I realized that it was a mistake, but at least it took me to the place where a lioness is now watching me with a sad look. You’re, on that side of the glass, in much bigger trouble. Every day is the same for you, you don’t do anything tedious, and you look so drained and exhausted.

They took away the most precious thing a cat can have – freedom. In fact, you don’t even know what it is, you are not aware that you are missing it. You don’t even know you’re in trouble. Even if you understood me, if I could, I don’t believe you would want me to help you, and I would like so. At that moment, she leans her head to the right, as if she understands me.

I always thought that was how cats reacted to some physical activity, but I just looked at it without movement. Many tourists are already approaching with the enthusiasm that they can see you up close, but you turn around because you have been long since bored by it.

I still don’t know what time is ti. I still like that uncertainty. I’m going to the airport by train. Too bad there is no cafe overlooking the runways. I had a hard time finding a place to drink coffee without a single clock in sight.

From the cafe, I see various people, very sad or very happy faces, tired or lively faces, with going on vacation or coming from it, saying goodbye to loved ones or welcoming them. Some are relaxed pulling their suitcases, while others are running through the airport at full throttle. Everyone is doing something, everyone is in a hurry, everything is planned.

Those who stand, on the other hand, seem to be turning around as if waiting for the master’s order to do the next thing. This place reminds me of an anthill. It seems to me that only I here do not know where I will be in 2 hours, and I am glad for that.

Still, I was wrong. Returning, by chance, I met tourists from Singapore, who came without a booked hotel. They don’t even know how many days they will stay here. I offered to help them, but they said they would do it in the city, in one of the cafes.

Leaf in the wind effect

They are like leaves in the wind, rolling stones that know no moss. They invited me for a drink because they probably think I’m like them, considering I told them how my day was going. I later showed them the sights, and since they were lovers of history and culture, I received an invitation to be their guest if I ever traveled to Singapore.

After so much walking with them, I returned home on foot, took a “longcut” too. I wonder, is there anything else to make this beautiful day even more pleasing? There is! A storm is brewing, my favorite weather “state”. In fact, I only feel complete happiness when it rains. I took my phone and headphones with me and went to the park where I live.

The very feeling of a strong wind defying me and trying to scare me gives me a feeling of even greater power and freedom. It’s starting to rain. It’s a storm. I set up the music and played the “Inspiration” playlist.

I’ve made a list of weird things I want to do by the end of the year. Apart from that, now, the latest list, I have various others, e.g. monthly plans, life wish list, celebrity gallery – people whose thoughts and work inspire and empower me, fascinate me, etc. When I think about it, one of the ways to break the routine and express creativity is also writing. I can freely say that it is my sweetest hobby. So many benefits and pleasures, and all I need are a pen, paper, and a note-taker. Every hobby is in fact an escape from one’s own introversion and routine.

On the way out of the fortress of the comfort zone, the first enemy we meet is the crisis of motivation, as a kind of fear, a powerful destroyer of thousands of dreams. For God’s sake, what will the others in the fortress think of me when they see me running away? I don’t care, I’m just following the path of my dreams, and they are, however, not inside the walls of this fortress.

Dreamers live in a different world, one that others cannot even imagine. Impossible is for them an unknown category. This may all seem crazy to you, but remember that the nicest compliment you can get from someone is, “it’s never boring with you”.