What can dogs teach us about life?
I never thought it would happen but it did.
COVID-19 and the related measures are getting to me. They are affecting my mental health.
And the reason is strange. I’m a loner.
“Solitude is dangerous. It’s very addictive. It becomes a habit after you realize how calm and peaceful it is. It’s like you don’t want to deal with people anymore because they drain your energy.” – Jim Carrey
You see, I was living in Bolivia with my wife but I spent most of the day by myself. She would go to work in a hospital and I would stay at home. I would teach online classes and write.
Now, my wife is 36 weeks pregnant and we’re living in Peru, with her family. It’s not just me anymore. It’s me, her, her parents and her three brothers.
Silence is rare.
The number of COVID-19 patients is soaring again, so as a responsible person, there aren’t many opportunities to escape the house. I’ve tried going for a run but during the day it’s too hot in Puerto Maldonado. At night, it’s too dangerous.
My only escapes are Twitter and work. I’m slowly getting bored of both, losing productivity and the will to make progress.
The only time I get lost in thoughts and relax is when I sit outside and observe the dogs.
They are free. They live now, not tomorrow. They enjoy the sun, they enjoy their food, they enjoy the present moment.
There’s so much we can learn from them.
And I want from them. I want to learn to appreciate every second. Even every second of being bored. I wish I could enjoy every moment like they do; experience every second as a gift. I want to learn to just relax with my head in an awkward position like they do. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?
What you saw above is an atomic essay I wrote for the Ship30for30 challenge. It’s a writing challenge in which I explored the importance of the present moment and the meaning of “a dog’s life.”
These two essays were the building blocks for this one. You can read them below.
I also made a thread with the best productivity-related essays from fellow writers:
Best atomic essays about productivity
Featured image by Jamie Street on Unsplash.