Midnight Diner
A few days ago I was browsing Netflix shows and came across a series that suited me. What was most appealing about it was that each episode was under 30 mins, more like an average of 23 mins. For me this is ideal as it fits in nicely when I am taking a break from work, or just relaxing a bit.
I have watched about 5 episodes so far and I must say that I am thoroughly enjoying it. I really like the humble nature of the diner, the minimalism of the space and the simplicity of the meals. The episodes reflect different aspects of Japanese culture. I like their culture. I find myself looking forward to watching yet another episode, which is a rare thing for me.
The owner of the diner serves only one dish, but he will try to make other things for you if you ask and he has the ingredients. There is a simplicity about this that I love. The majority of the meals fit in just one bowl or one plate and are modest in their amounts. They are not over-complicated like our meals, with a myriad of dishes that overload the palette.
The characters are normal people with normal jobs, which is so refreshing. Even the owner of the diner. He opens at midnight and closes at 7 am. He does not have to worry about constant learning and keeping up and innovation and falling behind the rat race. He runs his business, makes delicious meals for his customers and connects with them. And when he is not working, he can simply live. Just live. Do his chores, relax, smoke and enjoy the company of friends.
This is both a reminder and a lesson for me. A really good one. This is why it is very important to seek out people who live life in different ways, whose value systems are different from yours. There can be great benefit in this.
Case in point, I am thoroughly enjoying writing this post right now. I feel some joy, some fulfillment and most of all some peace. I am taking time out of my day to write, which is something that has brought me joy, fulfillment and peace in the past. It's ironic isn't it? That I have been denying myself this gift. I have been aware of it for some time and have been really trying to make a shift, where I leave space in the day for it.
The question comes up again - what is it all for? All of the hard work, all of the tracking, planning and control, all of the learning and reskilling and retraining and strategizing, what really is it all for? I think the answer to the question, at least for me, is to have the privilege of the space to experience beauty and wonder. Having an evening such as this, where I am able to simply take the time to write this post, well that's beauty and wonder. This is an example of "what it is all for".