Splash No. 135 - Routine
Routine
Wake at 9 or 10 or even 11. Scroll for a while. Get up, brush teeth, put on some sweatpants. Go downstairs. Eat breakfast, drink tea. Catch up on the world, or a book. Maybe put on a record. Do a quick workout, shower. Work for the rest of the day. A meeting here and there. A meal now and again. Watch a show or a movie. Retire upstairs. Sometimes reading, sometimes writing, sometimes more watching. Always sleep after.
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I watched a film called Paterson, which shows seven days in the life of a bus driver in a small time. He lives a simple life of routine — waking around the same time each day, eating the same breakfast, doing the same work, writing poetry in his free time, returning to his wife, and going for a nightly drink at the local bar. He doesn’t own a cell phone or use a computer, he seems to just enjoy observing. He listens to the stories of his passengers, sees the streets on his walks, and observes the changes in his home, as his wife embarks on one creative project after another. Despite the monotony and simplicity of his life, Paterson seems content to embrace the small changes in his day-to-day.
No one is a stranger to sameness. As we approach a year of quarantined living, routines has become even more commonplace. There are few things that can disrupt our routines, especially as national or international events have become routine in themselves. There’s comfort in routines: you know what to expect and that familiarity can serve as a salve for anxiety. At the same time, routines can quickly feel oppressive — a rigid sameness that seems to dissolve the color from our lives. In the best situations, routines offer a way to keep our lives in order and functioning while affording free time to do things that matter.
What I found fascinating about Paterson’s routine was how much was consistent, yet there was still so much room for serendipity. In his undistracted state, he would find opportunities to notice others and chat with strangers — the little girl who was a better poet than I am, a rapper improvising lines for an audience of laundry machines. I long to find such rich rewards for my attention, yet I can find satisfaction in less exciting moments. I’m attempting to make room in my routine for serendipity in small ways.
Lately, that’s been spending time in online spaces like are.na to discover new ideas and photos, or joining new Discords to get introduced to ideas and worlds I’d never even heard of or considered. In the physical plane, I spend more time looking for things that are unfamiliar or old in my parents’ house, often books, but sometimes photo albums or Yugioh cards. I’m not always successful in finding serendipity, but when every day begins to feel the same, the day that I found an amazing film or revisited an old memory becomes so much more special.
And so I wonder, is there room in your routine to find serendipity? To explore? To play? To just notice?
ICYMI - my zine!
I made a zine of my favorite Splash letters from last year, which you can find here. Would love it if you checked it out!
Drops of the Week
PLAYLIST - italo disco vibes - fun, kinda poppy but lowkey songs that are nice to relax to
ARTICLE - "A Lifetime of Lessons in Mrs. Dalloway" by Jenny Offill - a meditation by one of my favorite writers on how books change when we reread them at different points in our life and what they say about us
FILM - Paterson - you saw this coming
The new president may not be a white supremacist, but there's still work to be done. With each day, we move closer to a more equitable world. Reminders:
Ways you can help Mutual Aid Networks
Anti-racism resources
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Once a week,
Nikhil