I often receive messages on social media reminding me that life is full of details, which is very true. Sometimes we focus our attention on big, long-term projects, such as a house, a car, or travel, and we lose sight of what we have close at hand, which usually costs us almost nothing to have.
I remember when I was younger, when I could still get the printed newspaper, one of the things that brought me joy was picking it up at a newsstand near my house.
Every morning I would get up very early to go to work, leaving before my wife and children were awake. Sometimes I went by car and other times by public transportation, but in either case, I always stopped by the newsstand to pick up the newspaper.
I think one of the things I liked about making that stop was the big smile with which Rafael, the owner of the newsstand, offered me the newspaper.
If I went by car, he would come over, say good morning, shake my hand, and leave the newspapers on the passenger seat. If I went on foot, he would greet me the same way, shake my hand, and offer me a small black coffee. We always talked for a while as I waited for the bus that would take me to the next stop. Rafael never imagined that one day he would be the protagonist of one of my stories, ha ha ha.
I no longer go to work, nor do I buy the printed newspaper; in my country, they have practically disappeared. I know that in other parts of the world they are still being printed and people are still buying them.
I don't do what I did when I was younger, but now I am much more aware of enjoying those little things that give me a lot of joy, and in my case, there are quite a few. I don't want to sound conceited, but I think I've learned to really enjoy every little detail.
Yesterday, for example, I pruned a small oregano bush. It's a plant with very aromatic leaves. In my country, we use it a lot to enhance the flavor of food; it's a widely used ingredient in our cuisine.
Since I had much more than I could use, I didn't want to throw the rest away. I decided to put a small sign on the outside of my gate with a very simple message: “Free oregano.”
Less than five minutes later, people who usually walk by on the street began to ring the gatebell.
I found it very amusing. People asked me if I was really giving away oregano and left very happy with their sprig of oregano in hand.
I think I had enough to give to about twenty people. Twenty smiles that really lifted my spirits.
Now that it's the rainy season, I love seeing the different variations of the sky in a very short time. In my area, it is very common to have a lot of sun, with a completely clear sky and intense blue dotted with white clouds. And suddenly, the clouds that were once white turn gray, the sun goes out, the sky turns gray, and a heavy downpour begins, at the end of which a bright sun almost always returns and the blue sky opens up again. It truly brings me great joy to witness this endless cycle.
Sometimes, on nights when it is not too hot, I do not turn on the fan or the air conditioner. That way, I can leave my windows partially open, just enough so that shortly before the first rays of sun appear, the sounds of nature begin. I love waking up to the chirping of birds. I am very lucky that there is a great abundance of different species in my yard.
I believe that we all have the opportunity to enjoy these simple things in life, and I am sure that if we pay attention, we can find them.
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Thank you for your time.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version).
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