The Day After

“ai ou ou ai i ee.”

I’ll try again. “I bobe bobb bie wib beab.”

'What? Chew it first…'

“I love cold pie with meat.”

'Oh, sure, meat pie is delicious — but why cold?'

“Because cold pie is what’s left the next day after a party. A party is wonderful — guests come, there’s plenty of food, laughter, everything. But at the same time, it’s also stressful. You have to cook, clean the apartment, invite people, make sure no one gets bored.
And after the party, you finally relax: the guests have gone home, there’s nothing left to control, and your head doesn’t ache about anything. What remains is just a warm, pleasant aftertaste.”

'So, what do you like to do?'

“When?”

'Well, what would you like to do on your perfect day?'

“That’s a weird question.”

'It’s not weird at all. When kids — and not just kids — come to a psychologist, they’re asked to imagine their perfect day. That’s the key. People get stuck inside routine and limitations and stop thinking about what they actually want. Defining your ideal day is the first step — then you can slowly move toward it.'

“I’ve never thought about it, and honestly, I don’t know what to say.”

Really, what would I want if everything were possible? In truth, nothing much in life has worked out. Every plan has run into some obstacle. My career especially — that probably frustrates me most of all. I worked hard, even got some interesting results, but they turned out to be useful to no one. Everything else seems fine, no big problems. Just… no spark. No mood.
I don’t feel like traveling, or having fun, or even celebrating. I just wish I were healthier — but where would I get that?

“Maybe a perfect day needs perfect health,” I said. “You want to wake up, do your stretches, go for a run — or better yet, swim a couple of miles.”

'That’s cheating. With that kind of logic, you could also wish for a yacht and a diamond ring. That’s not the point. The question is what you really want.'

It was an interesting question. It actually made me think. I could almost feel my rusty thoughts and desires creaking back to life — things I hadn’t used in ages. I decided to start with something simple.

“I want to drink cognac and make love all day long.”

'What’s stopping you? You have cognac, and you have someone to share it with.'

“Well, it’s not that simple. I can imagine what you’d say if I drank cognac all day!”

'One day won’t hurt. Do all your chores beforehand, stock up on groceries, make sure it’s your day off — and go for it.'

“That’s not interesting. The sense of wonder disappears. One specially prepared day won’t change anything. It won’t bring me closer to the goal of every day being like that. And the next day I’ll have a hangover — that’ll ruin it completely.”

What a tricky question! You can wish for anything — but there’s nothing to wish for. Everything feels pointless. When I was younger, everything was sharper, brighter, deeper — feelings, thoughts, experiences. Now? Why get worked up? You’re not going to get any younger.

Without answering that hypothetical question, I drank my morning coffee and went to do my exercises. The usual routine: while warming up and stretching my muscles, I can think about anything, turn ideas over in my head, test combinations and possibilities. So, what is the answer, really…

“You know what the right answer is?” I finally said to myself. “The right answer is that my perfect day is happening right now. It started with coffee, continued with my workout and a delicious fried egg for breakfast. I work from home, and today I don’t have to go anywhere. And tonight, we’ll definitely pour a little cognac."
And best of all —  there’s still a piece of my favorite cold pie left!”