MAGIC MORNINGS

Yesterday I had a voice-over gig downtown at SyncSpot studios, nestled in the heart of Mount Royal Village-- a posh mall on the ritzy 17th avenue strip of shi-shi foo-foo stores, bistros and salons.

My appointment was at ten, and I was done by 11:30-- and then only because they had to do three voices in sequence, one after the other instead of all at once. MY part only took half an hour.

And then I was done. I had done my work, made my money, and my "work" day was over. And then I stepped outside into the morning sun.

Wow.

It was mystical. Like the feeling of getting away with something-- except that you've done nothing wrong whatsoever. It felt like I had stolen a piece of time and had made it my own.

I went to work, at a job I love, and was done very rapidly. I had made money, done my duty as it were, and it was not yet noon.

And when I stepped outside, the warm sun on my face telling me that the day was still young, still so full of potential-- I felt almost giddy.

Couple that with the fact that, all around me, folks were INSIDE WORKING while I had the street to myself-- myself, and a very few folks who were on their way somewhere or who, like myself, had leisure.

Leisure Rules, to quote Ferris Bueller.

It was amazing. Like I had discovered a secret no one else had; some magic formula for happiness and serenity and general well-being, all rolled up into one moment.

I'm not trying to brag. I don't want to rub anyone else's nose in this. I just want to share this transcendental experience.

In high school, I had a lot of stress and depression-- teen angst, I think they called it-- and I would often skip class to decompress and try to get my head on straight. And on those mornings, the feeling was the same-- stolen time-- except then I really was stealing time, FROM SCHOOL, (and kids, that's never a good idea so don't do it. Stay In School.) so I always had a taint of guilt.

But yesterday? I was working. And I had finished my work, good boy, yay me, and so being out in the morning was a REWARD. A totally justified break in my day. It's like having a free pass. To what, I don't know-- but knowing that you have the rest of the day to do what you want is a feeling that just sparkles.

Too many times, we share our bad days. But I had a day SO GOOD yesterday, I wanted to do my best to impart a little of that feeling to you. The world still waits outside for us, beyond the nine to five, there are little bits of pleasure and Paradise waiting unexpectedly around the corner, outside the office.

Have faith. Rest assured that, when you're feeling frustrated or down, that good things exist and are just waiting for you to find them wherever you can.

And Sunday, I'm baking pie again. Life is good.

Posted by Agent M at September 20, 2003 11:23 AM