Well, I’ll be honest with you – I spent my weekend doing something that might seem a bit odd to some folks. I went on a barcode-scanning spree, cataloging my DVDs and books. Yeah, I know, thrilling stuff, right? But hey, I’d already tackled the CDs and vinyl a while back, so it was time to face the music (or in this case, the movies and literature). Doing this, puts me in a kind of trance. I love doing this. But it’s time spent absolutely unnecessarily. I am aware of that.
Let me tell you, I was in for a shock when I saw the final tally of books. And get this – it’s probably going to climb even higher once I rope my kids into scanning their collections. They’re bookworms, just like their mom. Apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, I guess.
Now, here’s the kicker – looking at all these collections, it’s a bit of a gut punch realizing how much cash I’ve sunk into them over the years. And now? They’re worth peanuts, monetarily speaking. Sure, they’ve got sentimental value, but my wallet’s not feeling the love. I can’t help but think of all the other stuff I could’ve blown that money on. But you know what? At the time, buying those films, books, and CDs felt like the best thing ever.
It’s funny, though. The newest DVD in my collection is from 2016. That’s ancient history in tech years. And nowadays? They’re just collecting dust, taking up space. I’m starting to think it might be time to offload some, if not all of them.
Books are a different story. That collection’s like a living, breathing thing – always growing. Just last week, I added two more to the pile. And let’s be real, they won’t be the last. Same goes for CDs and vinyl. I’m still buying those, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.
Alright, brace yourself for some nerdy numbers:
Books: 736
DVDs: 548
CDs: 1317
Vinyl: 226
Before you ask, no, my house isn’t a cluttered mess. The DVDs are tucked away in boxes in storage. Books and CDs line the corridor shelves, and the vinyl’s got prime real estate in the living room, right by the turntables.
I’ll admit, those numbers make me cringe a bit. Don’t ask me why I’m even sharing this. It is what it is, I guess. All that stuff? I’ve read it, watched it, listened to it. That’s where all this useless trivia in my head comes from.
Funny thing – I was chatting with a friend last night about how we all want to be the center of attention, and how social media’s just made it worse. We’ve all got opinions, and we’re dying to share them. We want to be seen, heard. I don’t think the world owes me anything, but it’s nice to feel acknowledged, you know?
I’m under no illusions – I’m never going to be famous. My “fame” is limited to the little bubble I’ve created for myself. Weirdly enough, it might be yesterday’s conversation that’s making me feel a bit uneasy about typing all this out. Maybe I should focus on the other stuff we talked about, like how it’s possible to disagree with someone and still respect and love them.
So, there you have it – my completely unnecessary and shallow post. Love me anyway, will you?
What about you? How’d you spend your weekend?
It was a week
It’s Friday night. The work week was extremely exhausting and I am glad I can put my feet up for the rest of the evening and night. Tomorrow, I will finish my sister’s birthday gift. She turned 30 this week and we will celebrate this Sunday. This Sunday is also the anniversary of my grandma’s passing. It’s a bit of a challenging time because a lot is happening. But of course, everything will be okay. It always is.
The nicest thing I was told today: I can learn a lot from you
It’s always nice to be acknowledged.
My friend Edwin wrote a poem about views. It made me wonder about my own views. But just like Edwin observes in his poem: views are as manifold as there are people walking on this earth. It makes life interesting, but we also need the reminder that we need to be as open as we can be. We need to stay tolerant and accepting. But we also should challenge views that are alien to our own. That’s a way we can learn and evolve. And I admit, I like to be challenged sometimes and I like to learn new things. Thank you Edwin for another great poem.
Love and trust
I was never able to fall asleep in someone’s arms; not until I met you. You once asked why and I joked and steered the conversation in a different direction. The truth is, the answer is Trust. I never trusted anyone until I met you. I never completely opened up, showing my strength and weaknesses. And then you came along and showed me that my weaknesses are my strength. You showed me that there are people who listen, give sound advice without judging, and are simply there without asking anything in return. You showed me that love is free. You taught me so much, but above all, you taught me to trust you. That thought alone; it is scary and freeing. I want to thank you and thank you and thank you, but I know: my love for you is enough. Love and trust. I love and trust you. And you do too.
🌙🌞🌙🌞🌙🌞🌙🌞🌙🌞🌙🌞🌙🌞🌙
153 words – 5 minutes
Like every night
She fought to open her eyes because she knew it was too early to be awake. For two weeks, every night, without fail, she had woken up at 3:30. She sighed, knowing that there was no choice. She gave in and got out of her warm bed. She wandered to the kitchen, feeling the cold tiles underneath her naked feet. Something about that was comforting or at least, it was pleasant. She opened the cupboard, took a glass, then she opened the faucet and filled it with cold water. She brought the glass to her lips and drank. She didn’t gulp the water down; she enjoyed every sip of it, feeling it refreshing her body. She thought of it as “conscious drinking”. Before her thoughts could drift off to the absurd, she decided it was best not to think or have new thoughts. She yawned, setting the glass in the sink, briefly beginning to think why she didn’t put it in the dishwasher, but as with every other thought at night, she tried to push it away. If she allowed one thought, she knew she would begin to overthink and her night would be over. She scratched her thigh and without haste, she trudged back to her bedroom. She looked at her phone where she saw a couple of notifications, she ignored them all and opened the messaging app. “I am up” she wrote. Not waiting for a reply the put the phone down again. She grabbed one of her two pillows, turned to her stomach and got into her sleeping position. She began counting. It was odd, but it always helped her to fall asleep. 3:50. She saw the yellow digits of her alarm clock and drifted away. Like every night, without fail, for two weeks straight.
🌙✨🌙✨🌙✨🌙✨🌙✨🌙✨🌙✨🌙
299 words – 10 minutes
Untitled_20230324 or the first kiss
I look into your eyes and I feel lost and found at the same time. I know that I am safe when I look into your eyes. The crackling tension between is electrifying and pregnant with promises of what’s to come. You raise your hand as if to wave goodbye and for a split second I am afraid that our spell is broken and our moment is over. Intuition takes over and I touch my hand to yours. Palm against palm. I can taste the air your breathe on my lips. The heat of your hand seeps into me. So much intimacy in one small gesture. I lick my lips and see your eyes darting to my mouth. Everything happens in slow-motion. Everything happens too fast. Your soft lips touch mine. Our hands – fingers entwined fall down, almost touching my hip. The kiss intensifies. Your tongue flitters against mine, chasing it, tasting it. It’s hard to breathe and to think. Ever so slowly, you pull away. Your breath is laboured too. I avert my eyes, looking at our hands, and I smile. I don’t want to overthink but your kiss is lingering on my lips, tingling. Yearning for more. More. More. It was only a kiss. But it was also so much more. Our hands separate and you take a step back. We are back in the real world, standing on the pavement in front of my home. I notice the cold and shiver. “I better get…” I don’t finish my sentence, only motion to the door. You nod, ready to turn away. “I should…” you don’t finish your sentence either, just nod in the general direction of the street. I don’t know what to do. I am not good with goodbyes. “I’ll call you, alright?” I nod. There must be something better to say, but my mind is blank. You smile and touch a lock of my hair on my shoulder; the you turn to leave. My fingers rise to my lips where I can still feel your kiss. It was only a kiss. But it was way more than just a kiss. It was a promise of something new. I watch you getting into your car and drive away. My phone vibrates in my pocket and I fish it out with two fingers, ready to be taken out of this blissful emotion. “I told you I would call” you say and I laugh out loud. “Yes you did”. I make my way up to my home. I am sure that I will not sleep a lot tonight, but it doesn’t matter; I am with you.
✨🌙✨🌙✨🌙✨🌙✨🌙✨🌙✨🌙✨🌙✨
438 words – 11 minutes
untitled very short story 1/?
Sara sat on her windowsill with the toothbrush in her mouth. She looked out into the world; into the lives of her neighbors. An old couple was sitting at a table, having dinner. They didn’t talk, but something about them looked peaceful. It looked like a comfortable silence. She looked at the apartment above the couple’s and saw a young woman singing into a hairbrush while dancing in her underwear. It made Sara chuckle. She almost wanted to remember her youth, but she pushed that thought away with a slight shake of her head. She continued brushing her teeth and looking at her neighbors. The naked man doing his daily workout. The couple with the guests, laughing and clinking their glasses in celebration of something; maybe a birthday or an engagement, or some other happy event. Sara kept looking at the lives in front of her as if she was switching channels on the TV. When she saw a woman crying alone, hiding her face in her palms, she decided that she had seen enough. Sara pulled her curtains closed and all the memories of the lives she had seen faded instantly. Almost.
She trudged to the bathroom to rinse out her mouth and wash her face. It was such an automatic thing to do, she did not react when she caught a glimpse of her pale face in the mirror. Sara undressed and threw her clothes in the hamper. It was time to do a load of laundry, then again, it could wait another day. Making her way to the bedroom, she switched off the lights and found a comfortable position in bed. She switched on the TV and let the colors illuminate the dark room. Sara didn’t have anything particular to watch, and so she switched channels until she came across something that appeared almost interesting. After a couple of minutes of looking at the screen, she grabbed her phone and scrolled through social media.
Sometime during her evening routines, a thought had crept into her mind that didn’t let her go. She was alone. Lonely. Everything about her existence was mundane. She was an average woman without anything exciting happening in her life.
No one would spend time looking into her window. She was invisible. Sara grinned. It was a course and a superpower. Don’t let anyone notice you!
✨💜✨💜✨💜
Little author’s note (how very…!)
392 words. This was a very spontaneous thing to be written. There is something like an idea where I want to go and what I want to happen forming in my head. But we’ll see how that goes. I could just as well abandon this again in no time. I am aware that things could and should be elaborated, but this is the very first draft. There is not much thought behind these words (yet). No overthinking (yet). And definitely no editing of any kind. Remember, my first language is Luxembourgish, everything I write in English has to be translated in my head first. Imagine seeing an image in your mind and describing it in a foreign language you haven’t used like that in a while… Yeah, nothing is finished or perfect about this. But still, enjoy reading this short bit. 💜❤️
reflections of an unquiet mind 