November 1, 2023: Hide time displays and Larissa, the fairytale woman
November 1, 2023. I don't remember exactly when I woke up. But it was definitely early, as I heard, probably Lara, leaving for work. So, it must have been between 7 and 8 am. I lay there for a while, watching the rain and the white sky, and thinking about the dream I had today, where I was cuddling with Jule and another woman in bed.
In the bathroom, I washed my armpits with just water and put on my t-shirt without using baking soda under my arms. Then I brushed my teeth with the short toothbrush. Brushing with the short toothbrush is much more tiring, probably because it uses different muscles, but at least I don't have to apply as much pressure while brushing.
From the kitchen, I grabbed the lunchbox with the cherry cake and the lunch I had prepared yesterday: canned chickpeas, cucumber, and pesto. Along with that, I took an apple, a banana, and a mandarin.
As I walked to the bus stop, I saw several people already standing there. Some were looking at their phones, others were looking in the direction the bus should come from. This was a sign for me that the bus would arrive soon. And indeed, it didn't take long for the bus to come. I found it fascinating how one can find spontaneous ways to manage without a clock. Instead of looking at the time and the schedule, I paid attention to how many people were at the bus stop and what they were doing.
When I entered the library and went to the elevators, I noticed a large clock on the wall in front of me, unfortunately showing the time: it was 8:30 am. I then settled into the still empty fourth floor. Out of habit, I looked at the clock on my MacBook. It was 9 am.
I went out briefly to eat a banana and a mandarin. Then I went to HanoMacke for a coffee. On the way, I met Sarah. She had over-ear headphones on and, despite her smile, didn't seem like she wanted to talk to me this early in the morning. So, I just walked past her. Since it was raining outside, I stood under the roof by the bikes and enjoyed my hot coffee.
At 11 am, I glanced at the time in the upper right corner of my MacBook out of habit, as I had done several times before. I went to eat. I took a tray, a spoon, and a fork from the cafeteria and sat in HanoMacke to eat. I got myself another coffee for the cherry cake dessert.
Back in the library, I again unconsciously glanced at the clock on the lock screen. It was 11:32. Damn, I thought, looking at the time is a persistent habit.
I looked in the settings to see if there was a way to hide the clock on the lock screen. I found the option "Show Large Clock," which I set to "Never." Now I won't be confronted with the time when unlocking my MacBook.
At 2 pm, I took a short coffee break. I ate an apple and looked at the crowded campus. As I lined up at HanoMacke, the red-haired fairy woman and her friends walked by. Her enchanting gaze with light brown eyes and the smile on her face made me feel warm inside.
When I came out of HanoMacke with a cup of coffee in my hand, she was standing with her friends outside, wearing her dark green sweater that perfectly matched her dark red, curly hair. I was on the verge of asking for her name so I could refer to her by name in my life story. But the guys she was standing with somehow held me back. Maybe one of them was her boyfriend. This time, I didn't have the guts.
Later, around 2:30 pm (yes, I unfortunately looked at the clock again), while I was sitting at my laptop and looking towards the exit, I saw that she was also on the fourth floor and was just leaving with a basket in her hand. I needed to go downstairs to get my phone charger anyway, so I went out and met her as she was waiting for the elevator.
As I walked past her, I asked, "What's your name, by the way?"
"Larissa. And what's your name again?"
"Alexander." Then she asked me, "What are you studying?"
"I'm not studying anymore," I said as we both got into the elevator.
I was so excited that I interrupted her sentence and said, "When I first talked to you in the cafeteria, I forgot to ask for your name. Now I finally know it and can refer to you by name in my life story."
"Oh, maybe it's better if people don't recognize me," she replied.
"Don't worry, I'll only describe our encounters, which make up just a small part of the story."
The elevator reached the ground floor, and we walked out.
"What are you studying, by the way?"
"Law," she said, stopping in front of one of the book lending machines.
"Ah, I thought so! Well, take care," I said as I walked past her and waved. She waved back.
At that moment, I also realized that it was a bad idea to wash my armpits without soap this morning and not use baking soda. Hopefully, she didn't notice my body odor.
It wasn't a very pleasant conversation. "My stupid excitement kind of ruined it," I thought at my locker. At least now I know her name.
At 4 pm, I went home. Quickly bought arugula, two kiwis, a green apple, lentils, beans, and canned corn at Lidl.
In the evening, I listened to music and imagined how Larissa and I would hug and kiss. Let's see if she picks up on my thoughts.
I took a hot shower for a change, to de-grease my hair a bit, and also washed my face with hot water. Afterwards, my skin was very dry and flaky. Even though I don't use shower gel, warm water seems to be enough to dry out my skin. That was a lesson for me. Never shower too hot again.
I tell Lina about an important lesson I learned from the book "Think Again": to be open to those with different opinions, climate deniers, Nazis, and others labeled as eccentric by the media. When engaging in conversation with them, I won't try to convince them with my arguments but instead seek common ground first and offer my arguments without pushing them. I won't present all my arguments either, just the strongest ones, so they don't get lost in the mix.
Another lesson that stuck with me is not to tie my opinions and knowledge to my identity. If my opinion is attacked, it feels like my identity is under attack. It would be difficult and painful to reject an opinion because it would mean questioning my identity. Lina lent me a book by Adam Grant.
I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't stop thinking about Larissa. Her face was so vividly imprinted in my mind that it felt very real to imagine her - especially in that sleepy state. I pictured us standing opposite each other in the elevator, talking. It felt so real that I even whispered the words I imagined saying to her.
"Every time I see you and you smile at me, my heart warms," I whispered.
Larissa's eyes lit up, and she smiled. "I'm just reflecting your smile."
"I want you by my side. I want to grow old with you," I continued whispering, approaching her and touching her cheek with my hand.
"I love you," she said.
"I love you too," I replied, and we kissed.
"Please come to the fourth floor tomorrow. I'll be there waiting for you," I said, gazing into her eyes. "I want us to finally get to know each other."
"I'll be there, my love."
I lay there, still wondering if she was awake now, thinking of me. Perhaps my imagined meeting with her was something real in an intangible world.
Then another thought struck me. What should I focus on for improvements after minimalism? Out of nowhere, I whispered: Nutrition. Reduce my waste to 0 percent. Listen to my body and give it the best nutrition it needs.
But first, I need to learn to listen to my body. Become a master of meditation. I want to become an understanding person. A master of small talk, body language, and mind reading. I want to send messages to others with the power of thoughts and communicate with them through thoughts. I want to develop even stronger supernatural powers, like telekinesis. Eventually, I fell asleep again with this daydream...
Learning: Be open to everyone who thinks differently. Find common ground. Ask HOW and WHAT about the opinion of the person with a different opinion. Don't impose my arguments, just suggest them, and focus only on my strongest arguments.
Microchange: I reduced the clock display because it makes me internally restless. I hid the time and date display on the laptop lock screen.