Joy in Mundanity

I was having a beast of a day. Seriously, everyone was screwing with my patience when it was clearly not in the mood for it. I was finding that one and half years of research work might be let down by a petty, ruler wielding administrative staff. I could put it right by spending my normal monthly subsistence money on it, but asking that from a grad student in a foreign country is too much, just too much. Not that I did not have the money, but as a financial expert would say; the three most important things for survival in a capitalist economy is cash flow, cash flow and cash flow. That much of an economic shock would be catastrophic for my future plans, and I was stubborn. But I digress now.

I broke down. I completely broke down. I just plonked back on my seat and sat there without knowing what to do. Then I figured that I might as well make myself a cup of coffee. The thought of making coffee lessened my anxiety. I filled water in my hot water boiler and switched it on. Took my white, two-handled conically shaped coffee mug and the spoon and rinsed them. Opened the coffee bottle and measured out three fourths teaspoon of instant coffee powder (I have a way of measuring out three fourths) and let it fall into the mug. Then as the water reached boiling point, raised the boiler from its casing and tipped and let the hot water flow into the mug. Stirred it until the coffee powder fully dissolved and mingled and the whole concoction became dark brown. Opened the sugar container and measured out one and half teaspoons of sugar into it. Stirred the mug until the sugar dissolved as well. Rinsed the spoon and kept it on the table. Brought the mug to the table and took in the aroma of the coffee brew. By now, my anxiety had completely dissolved along with the sugar and coffee powder. By immersing myself in the seemingly mundane task of making coffee I had detached myself from stress and fear of being let down. I had completely diverted my concentration to something which required it and hence had become less strung out.

We often malign the mundane tasks in our lives, seldom noticing the near-cathartic experiences they might provide us in times of great stress. Be it taking a morning walk in the park, to making ourselves a cup of tea, they have the power to single out our consciousness from being bothered by a seemingly knotty problem. Yet a lot of people are opting out of these mundanities. If we do so, we are foregoing the right to enjoy the mundanity for what it is; a breather to get away for a few minutes from those very things that are making us give it up. For now, I believe there is absolute joy in mundanity. Don't let anything take it away from you.