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Please, Corey, Put Down the Pancake
What I learned about fulfillment from my day off.
The nausea isn’t surprising. That doesn’t make it any more pleasant though. I let out a groan of discomfort and try not to move. The TV’s flashing with the animated sequences of Rick and Morty. I focus on it, hoping to forget my gluttony. It works. At least, for a while. The dishes still need to be done, but there’s no rush. The day is mine for the taking (or the wasting). For some reason, I turn off the TV and start playing dance music on my phone. I then immediately close my eyes for a nap, music going all the while.
The alarm goes off. My cup still very much runneth over though, so I reset the alarm and close my eyes once more. Still, the dance music plays. Still, it doesn’t bother me. When the alarm goes off once again, I’ve had enough. I head to the kitchen and clean up the mess.
A few hours earlier, you would’ve seen me in the grocery store; I roamed the aisles, bag in hand, slowly adding to it the most sought-after of junk foods: chocolate chips, Golden OREOs, whip cream, syrup, ice cream. Upon checkout, I specifically went to the self-serve line. I didn’t want anyone to see my purchases on this morning. Ironically, I ended up needing assistance. I’m not smart enough to operate a self-serve kiosk, I guess.
