Folks, I’d be lying to ya if I told you that Dead Week isn’t kicking my butt this semester. ‘Dead Week’ is the last week of the semester before Finals Week, which is fitting because most people are dying (or actually dead). It’s not that the projects I have are overly difficult or that I have a lot of tests this semester (I actually don’t have any), it’s just the sheer amount of stuff that has to get done that’s dragging me down. If you are or were once a college student, I’m sure you can relate: 15-page recommendation report in an English class and accompanying presentation, two essay quizzes, a research paper on intersectionality in the film industry, another research paper on the global food industry, a reflection assignment… the list keeps going on!
My morning yesterday got off to a rough start. After two near all-nighters, I was running on just a few hours of sleep. My nose was stuffy and I was so tired I felt like throwing up (after a quick Google search I confirmed that this IS a real thing, so no, I’m not crazy). When I was on the phone with my very loving mother, I summed up my thoughts on dead week in the most poetic way I could: “Mom, I just feel like sh*t.”
As we all know, ‘normal life’ doesn’t get put on hold during Dead Week. Tristan, one of the first good friends I made at college that was not already in my pre-existing circle, is graduating in less than two weeks. Before life got even crazier, I wanted to grab a cup of coffee with him to catch up and celebrate his achievement so yesterday we met at Dutch Oven Bakery, the sweetest old-fashioned bakery in Ames. I headed in a little earlier than we had planned to meet so I could sit down and start writing this blog. Last minute work is one of my specialties!
So there I was, sitting with my chai, click-clacking away on my keyboard. When I got to the point where I felt like I needed a break (which I tell myself I deserve after pretty much everything if I’m being completely honest…), so I took a moment to look around at who was joining me at Dutch Oven that morning. The bakery isn’t really a staple with college students, so it’s almost like an oasis of normalcy for the minority population of Ames who isn’t attending ISU. Just a few tables down from me is a long table of grandpas and grandmas – I mean, I’m assuming they are grandparents to somebody. I’m not sure if they were hard of hearing or if the coffee they were drinking just had them jazzed, but they were talking so loudly I couldn’t help but listen to what they were visiting about.
What I expected to hear was a group of old geezers dissecting their health problems and hip replacements, complaining about Medicare, and talking about food because that is what old people do, right? Much to my surprise, this group of youthful elders was like a group of high school kids, cackling over gossip about Betty’s son’s mistress, ranting about the neighbor’s ugly dog with no hair, and celebrating Don’s birthday. (Happy birthday, Don!) I sat back and smiled, and thought to myself “It’s the small things.”
But then I caught myself.
Are the small things really that small?
At 7 AM on a chilly Tuesday morning, 8 senior citizens braved icy sidewalks and frosty roads for the sole purpose of enjoying each other’s company. They prioritized their company with one another over their safety, sleep, or productivity that morning. When you put it that way, what’s small about that?
This table of old timers didn’t only play a passive role in my morning. When bringing Tristan’s wrapped graduation gift inside the gal at the head of the table jumped me, wanting to know “who that was for” and “what was in the package”. And when he did finally arrive, they were the ones who gave him directions on when to open it, how to open it, and to show it to the rest of the bakery. Combine this entertainment with the local high school choir Christmas caroling and great conversation with a dear friend and you a recipe for top-notch morning.
Needless to say, I left the bakery in a new, chipper mood, ready to tackle whatever was thrown at me that day (which ended up being a pretty uneventful day at work, but anyways…). Remember the state in which I started this day in? Crabby and prickly? I would say the turnaround in attitude from 6:30 to 9:30 AM was pretty drastic. But what makes it even more interesting is that all this change was facilitated by the effects of ‘the small things.’
It’s at this point in the blog where I would usually carefully dissect the topic at hand and give you my long philosophy on all the things, but it’s finals week so I don’t have time to be preachy this week. I’ll just fast-forward to the good stuff:
For the remainder of the week, I challenge you to find three small things each day that don’t seem like much in the moment, but had a lasting impact on you later in the day or beyond.
Maybe it’s a cup of coffee that’s served at the perfect temperature.
A table of snoopy old people quizzing you on your morning agenda.
Watching how a friend’s smile grows as they open a thoughtful gift.
Getting on the bus just before the snow starts to fly.
A stranger holding the door open when your hands are full.
Squishing your toes into the carpet of a freshly-vacuumed bedroom.
Receiving a text out of the blue from an old friend wanting to grab supper and catch up.
Giving the college library a free country concert with the kid from your English group you barely know.
The way your teeth feel after brushing them before you climb into bed.
The memes your sister sends you with no context.
Doing yoga every hour while pulling an all nighter with classmates to help stay awake.
When the amount of money you spend at the grocery store comes out to an even dollar amount with no change.
The song that came on the radio was the obscure song you were just thinking about.
The perfect parking spot.
When your socks color coordinate with your shirt.
Did I have to look far to find “the small things”? No, no, no. The laundry list above is just a portion of “the small things” from the two weekdays leading up to the publication of this blog post. They’re not hard to find, you’ve just gotta look.
Think back to a trip you’ve taken in the last few years. Maybe it was a family vacation, a band trip, or a spring break adventure. What are the memories that stand out to you most? While you probably remember visiting Epcot or walking along the Gulf Coast, I’m guessing the most vivid memories are likely quirky things such as dad joke contests in the car or stopping to find some weird landmark in every little podunk town along the way- the small things.
One of the keys to being just 1% happier each day is being aware of the good that exists. Just as someone can be detail-oriented at their job, people who are happiest are likely those who recognize the small things naturally. And, we know it’s important- Blink-182 even wrote a song about it (creatively titled “All the Small Things”, might I add).
So, I leave you with this: what’s stopping you from finding the small things in life?
