A parallel universe: The choice is ours.

Photo by Laurenz Kleinheider on Unsplash

“God damn, how I hate Mondays!” he thought while standing in the metro, cramped between 90 other good citizens on their way to work. His eyes, barely open, the taste of coffee and cigarettes in his mouth, longing for the past 2 days in the countryside. “I wish I could live there…”

A sandwich and the presentation in his pocket, drafted swiftly more badly than good yesterday evening, for the decision makers to celebrate the acquisition of another billion worth of business. “Meaningless” he thought. There was a time where he celebrated his fruitful efforts proudly, but lastly success has lost all meanings to him.

Out of the metro, he jumped up the stairways towards the market square, just a hundred meters away from the office. Almost at half-way when a tramp and his shopping cart bumped into him.

“Hell, watch your path!” he yelled. The tramp apologized while he gathered his things together. “Would you have a small donation? I’m hungry and I can’t remember when I ate last,” the tramp asked. He waved his hand. “Sorry buddy, I’m damn late!” As he turned and walked towards the office, where they were waiting for him. Though he felt sorry.

Driven by his duty, he ran and went mentally over the presentation, then realized he hadn’t really internalized. “F***! this will be a disaster,” he thought as he stepped up into the corridor leading right to the meeting rooms. He opened the door, stepped in, and walked to the presenter spot while trying to ignore the gazes he felt on his back. “Please apologize for being late, it won’t happen again”, he said, and started his presentation.

—— Flipping sides ——

In between 90 other persons standing in the metro on their way to work, a young man, standing in the middle, letting his gaze go around. A folder clamped under his arms and a smile drawn on his face, so unreal, as if nothing in the world could shake his unwavering presence.

Immersed by sounds, people’s expressional faces and the play of light and shadows as the metro runs into the market square station. The door, barely open, unleashing a sizzling sound that marked the start for the people to escape, one faster than the other, like a restless farm of ants on the hunt for materials and food.

He walked up the stairway as if called by a guiding light coming from the overground. Walking through a busy world, full of immersions made of literally everything. Yelling people, rushing and honking cars and ever-changing clouds in a grey-blue sky. “What an unbalanced, yet perfect world,” he thought, as he crossed the street and took on his journey towards the office.

An old homeless man crossed his path with his shopping cart in front, asking for a couple of dollars to get some food. As he noticed the sparkling eyes and sensed the hunger, he took out and lay down his sandwich in the outstretched hands of this hungry, old, and homeless man. A smile of grace manifested on his face. As he waved goodbye, his heart smiled back. Connected to the salvational moment a sandwich can mean to a hungry man.

Entering the office building causing the noises from outside fading slowly. He walks up the corridor towards the meeting room, while taking a deep breath before entering. As he stepped in and walked towards the presenter spot, he looked at the impatient participants with a smile and apologized for being late, connected his laptop and started the presentation.

Bottomline

While this might sound surrealistic and too good to be true, there’s no exaggeration in it. It’s what happens when we surrender to whatever is. Being late, for instance, is something that we can’t change if it’s the case. You can decide to cling to it and suffer all the consequences you draw in your mind, or accept it and move on with whatever is in that moment consciously.

The point I’m making is, happiness is accessible at anytime, all it requires is to surrender and give up the urge to control and secure your life. We can’t be more secure than we already are. Things happen, change, and pass. No thinking or action can prevent things from happening. But thinking and action can lead to acceptance and let go.

Perhaps try it next time when you find yourself in a similar situation. Direct your focus on what’s happening around you without judgement. Even if it’s just for a minute before your thoughts take over again. Regularly doing this will bring you one step closer.

I hope you liked my first “novel” kind of format. I felt experimental today, so I gave it a try. Let me know what you think about and if you’d like to read more in this format.

Have a lovely weekend 🍀