Week 3: 16 January – 23 January
This week’s rewirement is a bit challenging, to be honest. Kindness and Social Connection. If you think about it plainly, it seems like talking to people and being kind is easy, right? The golden rule says that we should to others what we want them to do. For me, it’s easy in a way that I just let people be, that way I don’t disturb them. But then, it disrupts the natural flow of humanity. We are what we are because of the people we are with, and with that, we naturally have to connect with the people around us.
Kindness, well, is it really easy to be kind? Given your resources and other things you can give, how can we really define kindness? This is something I’m still figuring out.
Here’s how I did for this week:
16 January
I caught up with one of my classmates in college. We talked about our lives as working professionals who have just left their jobs to look for better things. It was nice to talk with her again after so long. I wish I can grab a coffee with her sometimes but we’re far from each other. I always caught up with a friend who’s from the other side of the world.
As for kindness, I did nothing out of the ordinary, except nursing our kitten, who is ill.
17 January
I went to the coffee shop to finish the project I was assigned to. I got to converse with the bartenders very briefly.
18 January
I continued nursing the kitten at home while I finish a project – therefore, I didn’t get to talk to anyone for the entire afternoon.
19 January
Got to have a quick and humorous chitchat with the parents of one of my colleagues. They were laughing and joking about how we know their daughter’s schedule better than them did.
I also had a quick catch-up with one of my best friends. She went to Thailand, therefore, I went on to check on of our deliverables.
I bought my mom a meal.
20 January
I fed the cats again and took a nap with them. Napping with cats is something rare for me.
21 January
I decided to be kinder to myself by waking up early and taking a 5km walk around the city. I also made breakfast for my family.
22 January
I was walking around the city again when it started raining, so I rode a tricycle bound home. At home, I chatted with some friends I met in college about life through Instagram, where I mostly talked with my friends nowadays.
23 January
I went to Tanauan for the first time in a long while. I chatted with the tech who was assigned to my diode session. She talked about how her child understands English better than Tagalog.
Thoughts:
So far, this is the one I find the most challenging. For one, the limit to the resources I have makes me anxious about my moves. Catching up with friends, despite virtually, is always a good experience. I remember writing in my unfiltered journal that each conversation teaches us something, whether intentionally or not. This week made me realise how important it is to have a community, to be connected with people, especially like-minded ones.
I think connecting with people is something that I’ve taken for granted. When the pandemic hit, it has made everything harded than they are, and we got to reflect on our lives on a deeper level.
I have the rest of my life to connect and be more kind to people. I have the rest of my life writing about it as well. I now have a new goal.
See my progress here.
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