Opening and Closing the Drapes

Recently I have been thinking that there must be more to this life than work, church and home. I find that I have fallen into a ritual and it is not comfortable, or is it? Everyday I am plagued by the recurring thought that there must be more to it than this. My days often begin somewhere around 5:30am or 6:00am and the first thing I do is open the drapes in my bedroom to let some natural light inside. I look at the sky and say thank you Jesus for a new day. I go to the bathroom and think about what to wear and that I should not procrastinate and run out of time to do my devotion. Devotion done, shower, dress, pack up and it is a 100 meter dash down the stairs and through the kitchen to open the blinds, open the drapes in the dinning room shout good morning to those present. I dart for the front door but not before opening the drapes in the living room. I made it out! I get to work and enter my office and I put my 100 bags down and pull the blinds to get some natural light inside and my work day begins. I do this everyday. On the days I work from home the 100 meter dash becomes a 1 meter dash to my study to pull those drapes and start my day. The occupants downstairs will sort out those blinds and drapes. My work days are long and most often very hard. In my job I think of myself as the neighbourhood fireman. I put out fires that are created by others and some that I unfortunately create all by myself - but that's another story for another time. I however remind myself that I am cute, not rich, and this is what the Lord has provided for me to take care of my needs. I make sure to express gratitude everyday and repeat to myself that there is purpose in my presence.

But, I am now looking at my weekends, I wake up at about 7:00am check my phone to see if the rapture happened while I was asleep, watch a few reels on Instagram before getting up to pull the drapes and do my devotion. The night before I would have committed to getting out of the house early to do a few laps around the walking trail, run errands and be home by 2pm. I generally only get somethings done (not the walk around the walking trail) and I am home by 6pm. But while I am out, I listen to conversations around me and it would seem that people are leading really interesting and eventful lives. Some go out after 7pm to do God knows what with their very lively and adventurous group of friends. I was wondering the other day if I should diversify my connections but then I said no, I am not that adventurous and the orientation period is too long. Right now I have what could be described as a cornucopia of acquaintances and friends - young, not so young, men, women, other, Christians, non-Christians, uptown, mid-town and around town, but very few who I go out with. I realise that some relationships are for a purpose and a season but those are not the ones to help me with pulling the drapes in the mornings and closing them at night. That task is reserved for a few. But, now I realise the few are either far away or sometimes busy or fighting with their own drapes.

Those who you want to help you with the drapes are the people who you love to laugh with, who know you and love and appreciate you, whose affections are honest and real, those who you share openly with. The ones who understand that I can only manage 3 or 4 words in the mornings but don't judge me for it - talk to me around noon. The drape assistants don't expect anything of me besides a good laugh, a little bit of my time, my warmth and presence, some singing, dancing (my version) and the occasional meal. Every now and again we will meet as a group of drape openers and closers and lament about life and country and laugh at the things that only seem to happen to us. Then there are the ones who will rush in and fill you with wonder and excitement and have you reminisce on that time when we took, "A Moonlit Walk by the Humber". What a deception that was. That evening could have been better described as a dark night walking through the bushes to look up at the Humber Bridge and Estuary. Those were good times when I only had one window with 2 curtains.

The routine continues and I am grateful because of the fact that I now have so many windows with drapes to pull in the mornings and at night. I am still wondering if there is more to life than this but then I remember the days when I wished for the things I now have, I am grateful - even for the boredom.