The Perfect Day

There’s something so depressing about waking up to a sub-freezing temperature after such wonderful mid-60 degree days. It really brings me down… I am definitely not a cold weather person. It got me thinking to an old little thing I wrote about my perfect day back in philosophy class. The assignment involved saving $10 a week for a year, and what to do with it.

I opened my eyes on the morning of June 21st expecting it to be a great day. It had been exactly one full year since I decided to save 10 dollars every week and give myself a perfect day at the end of a year. I got up and looked outside to discover a beautiful morning was waiting for me. The breath of a zephyr tickled the leaves of trees as it zigzagged through their branches. I looked up to see that the waft had also pushed every cloud out of the way to give me a flawless depiction of the bluest blue I had ever seen. It was the perfect temperature too: not hot enough to cause the sun’s rays to be a discomfort, and not cold enough to need the sun’s rays for warmth. This..was going to be a good day.

I cleaned up, got dressed and went downstairs. Everyone else was asleep giving the house a stillness I was not accustomed to. It was still a little early, so I didn’t think much further on it. I ate my breakfast and went to the jar I had kept in a hidden place for the last 12 months. I pulled out the $510 and added the last $10 bill I had in my wallet. Five hundred and twenty dollars were in my hand and ready to be exhausted on a perfect day. I sat there with the money for a while thinking. What if I didn’t spend the money at all? I quickly dislodged the thought from my head and pocketed the money. This was supposed to be a day spent with $520, no more, no less. But this idea kept biting into the far corner of my mind, what if I could make a perfect day without using this money? I sat there in deep thought contemplating my course of action. My hand reached for my pocket, hesitated, then finally pulled out the money and put it back in the jar.

I put my shoes on and went for my bike. The breeze felt incredible as I rode through it. Heading for the park, I knew the fastest way there. But today… today was different; I wanted the distance to be longer. A couple side streets and courts assisted with that dilemma.

The park was fairly empty that morning. The sound of the Delaware River brushing against its banks wasn’t too far off. After locking my bike to one of the holders, I began to walk along the path. I listened to everything: the tiny birds chirping for food to my left, a squirrel squeaking at another to my right, and the water ahead of me. I walked that park that whole day, several times in fact. Memories of the past and thoughts of the future were most of the things that were in my head. Music played a big part too. I had actually conjured quite a few beats that went along with the nature around me.

The day had ended and I returned home calmed, well rested, and hungry of course. So the first thing I did was eat something out of the fridge. I had gone through a whole day without spending a cent, and it occurred to me that it wasn’t the challenge I had proposed it to be. Money is more often than not the source of most problems: it keeps you from having a perfect day. If you wanted to spend the money on yourself and others, you would need more money to do so. Not having enough or as much as you would like causes a hindrance. Henceforth, a day without money, is a day without problems.

The following day I went to the bank and deposited the money I had saved. Let’s see what becomes of next year’s “perfect day.”

*****

It's actually strange to see how my writing has changed after all of these years, and I am not so sure it is for the better, ha. Nonetheless, I need spring to come soon. I need it to bring me out of this darkness and this pain I feel every time I walk outside my front door. Not to mention perfect motorcycle riding weather.

;)