Mindfulness and Ambience in 2021

I assess the font with scrutinizing eyes, noting how the letters rise and fall in symmetrical conjunction with one another – like a well-choreographed dance that my own clumsy fingers would never be able to replicate. Perhaps this is why I’m drawn to digital journaling, at times. Symmetry. The beauty of the soon-to-be-lost art of a delicate cursive font is matched only by the soft tapping of the keys as each letter appears on the webpage, like a lulling ASMR. Click – clack. The sometimes-beautiful, sometimes-chaotic script tucked safely betwixt the pages of my leather journal would have to wait for another day.

As I take a sip of the lukewarm coffee from my loudly colored, yet oddly simple coffee mug, I remember the wise words in the book I’m devouring about mindfulness. Sip and enjoy. Let the bold, rich flavor move across your tongue and feel the heat slide down your throat. Breathe in the bittersweet scent. Marvel at the feeling of the floor beneath your feet – or one foot since my tendency is to rest the dorsal aspect of one foot atop the Achille’s tendon of the other. I notice how different parts of my body take turns carrying all the weight, as though I’ve unconsciously conditioned myself to take the burden off of something else for a while – even if that something is me.

The ambient rain sounds outside are replaced with the highway in the distance. A clear, but cold, night. My socks reach up to my knees to warm my legs. “Hey Google.” My quiet voice still sounds loud in the contrast of the otherwise silent room. “Play rain sounds on all home speakers.” There’s nothing wrong with a bit of artificial rain ambience.