Place of Mind

A Day in The Life

The clock never stops ticking. Can I just stop and catch my breath? Welcome along a day in the life of Mary Clare Duffy. Racing heart. Endless dreams. Countless decisions. Each morning I wake from deep slumber, aching for more sleep. Discomfort floods my body as I all I ever crave is another blink of sleep. My feet touch the cold, bare, wooden floorboards and they creak as I hustle to the bathroom. I only give myself enough time in the morning to get ready in panic mode, because that makes sense, right?

The constant edge of urgency to seize the day never leaves my body. Constantly worried of what my day will consist of and if it will be beneficial or wasteful. Judgement from every corner of my being. I shuffle along 127^th street and acknowledge the beautiful sunrise. Something about the sunrise deepens the sense of appreciation and liveliness in my soul. It is something I don’t merely zip by in my car, but an art in which I stop to think, appreciate and recognize. Barthes says, “I wanted to explore it not as a question (a theme) but as a wound: I see, I feel, hence I notice, I observe, and I think” (21). I relate this to my own aspirations, as I do not simply just see. I dig deeper within my blue eyes to find meanings and motives. Truth be told, everyone has a motive. Whether good or bad, I aspire to learn and grow through experience and listening. The sunrise at the early hours of the morning place an effect on my entire day. The rays shining down help acknowledge and highlight the beauty in the world. Barthes speaks about noticing, observing, and thinking. This is something in today’s world you have to intentionally stop to do. With an over stimulated society, stopping and noticing the small things is important.

My day begins as I am on my way to nanny the energetic five-year old, Johnny. It’s approaching seven o’clock in the morning and I itch for an iced coffee. I arrive to Johnny’s where he awaits my presence, curled up next to his loyal black lab, Indie. Johnny’s couch is filled with blankets and the WGN news blares as Molly, his mother, is preparing to leave for work.

Goofy time has just begun. I prepare breakfast for my adorable, miniature little buddy. Some days we have blueberry waffles, others fruit and yogurt. We dance, sing, watch cartoons, go for bike rides, jump on the trampoline, and make arts and crafts, then with the blink of an eye, the yellow school bus scoops him up and my morning in the world of a five-year old is over. I love spending my mornings as a nanny. It allows me to acknowledge another sense of life. The lifestyle of a five-year old is so innocent and loving. It allows me to step back and realize things don’t always need to be so rushed and you have to let the little things go. Throw the play-doh around in the kitchen, color outside the lines, and have a cookie for breakfast, because life is too short. The carefree nature Johnny offers is one of the favorite aspects of my day! Since I don’t have younger siblings, I enjoy learning, watching, and engaging with the lifestyle of a five-year-old.

Looking around in a world I find myself every day, doing monotonous and routine tasks, where I do not always notice the important things to be grateful for. It is often times I find myself thinking of what I don’t have rather than looking around to appreciate all that I do have. In regard to making the familiar strange, my first thought is my own home. The exuberant welcome mat lies colorful before the front door. I usually walk right past in a hurry to accomplish my next task. It is something beautiful and welcoming, something I haven’t taken the time to appreciate. It is always what is going on behind the doors I am concerned about, rather than stopping in the moment and acknowledging the exterior. The four white pillars of my front porch stand tall each day to hold my house up and glisten from the porch lights each night.

The front porch is a place where I do a lot of pondering and relaxing. It is a safe place to appreciate the September breeze and watch as the leaves begin to fall from the trees. As season change and autumn approaches, the porch is a wonderful place to rest my thoughts.

Another day to day task is Moraine Valley. I attend, participate, try and put forth my best potential to succeed. I walk around from class to class observing the loud campus and the students that consist of it. Shortly thereafter, comes my dog walking business. Let me tell ya folks, the dogs can’t walk themselves. Here is where my dog walking business comes into play, another unending responsibility. Responsibilities are what make up my life. I take pride in my dog walking business and the accountability that comes along with it. The little golden doodle is a regular client of mine, and the joys of a nice walk, while getting paid for it, is a great feeling. Another dog I take care of on a regular basis is the black lab, Kona. We stroll around my neighborhood and notice the houses that I pass daily in my car, but it's different when I am walking. I can take the time to really notice what is around me. I watch as Kona rings me down the road and she chases the squirrels. Her blue leash attaches to the black leather collar and we are on our way down West Navajo drive.

When school and work hours come to an end, and I find peace, patience and comfort on my yoga mat. This is the hour out of each day I try to set ahead for myself to relax, let my body find stillness, and my thoughts surface. My yoga mat is where I spend a lot of time thinking and cooling my nerves from the day. I close my eyes and rest my body as other ladies and members chit chat around the yoga studio. My beloved, black, lululemon yoga mat is a safe place of mine. It offers much needed meditation, relaxation, and a good sweat. The seventy-five-minute heated sculpt class is just what I need.

Realizing what occurs around you and taking it all in is important to do. It is crucial to soak in the sun and look at the world with a sense of gratitude. Thankfulness fills the heart and truly appreciating what you have, like family, friends, is a wonderful way to spend your time and a great way to live your life. Each decision we make, no matter how small, places an impact on people. I aim to make decisions that align with my heart. The heart never lies. Although the clock may never stop ticking, it is important to fill the time we have with gratitude and a full heart. After taking a deeper look at your life and your surroundings, you just may be surprised in what you find.

Works Cited

Barthes, Roland. Camera Lucida. Translated by Richard Howard, Hill & Wang, 1980, pp. 16-59. Composition Flipped, writing101.net/flip/wp-content/resources/documents/camera_lucida_excerpt.pdf.