Maya : All is Maya
“An abstract morning, isn’t it?” I said yawning.
“What do you mean?”, said the husband giving me a sharp look. It was a bit early for a chat especially when he had Reel-ing to do. (Watching instagram reels, you-tube shorts etc, not merely reeling from the effects of them)
“Cloudy mornings are like that. The reality is a bit muted. As though allowing us the luxury of examining reality through the haze of clouds and mists.”
He sighed and put down his phone. He clearly wasn’t getting his reality of watching inane reels and cackling at the virtual reality shock-fest it offered.
“Well – you know it feels like you can stop and look at the world, examine and ponder the reality of the world. The excitement it can have without actually doing it on a morning like this.”
Nervous or Excited?
“Did you know? Apparently, when they interview Olympic athletes and ask them if they are nervous before a match or race, they say they are excited.”
“Happy to latch on to something concrete, are you?” I said moving away from the world of Maya.
He grinned.
“Well – maybe they activate the same neural pathways in the brain. Must check it out. They do have similar responses. Adrenaline pumping – making the body ready for the action. “ I said.
“Yes – but maybe Olympic athletes’s brains acknowledging them as excitement rather than nervousness means they perform differently.” He said.
Optimism can be very draining!
The husband is a big sucker for positive thinking and all that lark. The things we have to resort to in order to get him to say he is in pain after playing tennis for days on end, is to be seen to be believed.
“Maybe just sore. ”, he’ll say, wincing.
“Are you in pain? Would you like me to get the Icy Hot balm?”
“Not pain – just a little interesting soreness.”
“You can’t move, can you?”
Laugh.
“Acknowledge you’re in pain, and I’ll get you the Icy Hot.”
“Nope. Never.”
“Fine. Then. Interesting aches do not need medication right?”
“Okay fine – I am pretty sore – can you get me the Icy Hot?”
So it goes.
Optimism! It can be very draining.
Optimism Tales: Goats, Creepers, and Spiders
Optimism as an abstract thought though, that can be entertained. The optimism of goats who make that leap to the tree branch high above, or that creeper that leaps skywards ready to take hold without knowing how, that spider whose web is an architectural marvel – they all must’ve felt optimism to start and stick with their ventures. “Were they excited, nervous? Must interview them and put them on reels so you can find out!” I said sticking my tongue out at him.
Nourish-n-Cherish 