And the second day comes to an end--initial experiences in my experiment

           So, I’m coming to the end of the second day in my weeklong experiment with living deliberately and, I must say, it has been very interesting. It has been fascinating to feel such drastic differences in my perspective by making minor changes in my routine.  The most noticeable difference is my constant awareness of every action I do, such as washing my hands, deciding what to eat for lunch and dinner, and choosing where I want to exercise. Let me begin by breaking down the events that have occurred thus far.

            I set my alarm clock fifteen minutes early to allow for enough time to get to school on time. I made it to the Metro after stopping to appreciate the beautiful weather and spring foliage. Although I was participating in the same rush to get to a destination, I felt completely at ease as if I were separate from everyone else’s schedule. However, at the same time, I felt much more connected with my fellow DC citizens because we were riding on the same rail and experiencing the same build up of the day. I have never felt this way when driving to school. Instead, I’m usually frustrated with these same people because they were in my way! There it was—irony at work—and I had to laugh at the situation. The ride back from school was far different from my first trip because it took 45 minutes longer than usual to take the Metro and, as a student, 45 minutes is a lot of valuable studying time! This is something I’ll have to give more thought to as the experiment wages on.

            My food choices have been the easiest part of the experiment so far and I have enjoyed the alternative selections I’ve forced myself to make. Instead of a giant sandwich filled with meat, I’ve opted for the vegetarian route, which has been kind of refreshing. I felt lighter on my feet, but perhaps a little too light since I typically get hungry again shortly thereafter. Considering all of the material we’ve read so far in the semester, my conscience has been equally as light by choosing to “eat green.”

            Changing my consumption habits has been the area that has forced me to pause with nearly all the actions I had described above. Even before washing my hands I have to pause. What am I going to use to dry my hands? My shirt? My backpack? Needless to say, my shirt and backpack have remained wet for these past two days. But there is more to this than using my outfit to dry my hands.  Nearly everywhere else I’ve had to stop and think about my choices. What if I don’t use my shirt and use three paper towels to dry off (I’ve caught myself several times instinctively doing this)? I immediately feel guilty as if I’ve let down the entire human race. Here is where our recent classroom discussions join the party. Is it “selfish” to use three paper towels because I’ve robbed the forest of a tree branch? Keep in mind that I’m literally having these rhetorical debates while still in the bathroom and you’ll get a picture of how ridiculous this all is. This is something I’m really going to have to come to terms with because I can’t keep having these debates with every small decision I’m faced with.

            My refusal to check my email, Facebook, and cell phone every ten minutes has been going great. I’ve felt more focused on the task at hand (i.e. homework), and have been able to accomplish a great deal more than usual. Although my wife has complained a bit (this is the only thing she’s protested), it has been great to let go of the “inter-world” and live in the moment.

            Although I haven’t had the chance to participate in my volunteer commitment, I have noticed my unforced willingness to ask others if they need help. I say unforced because despite this being my goal, it isn’t the goal itself that’s urging me to ask others if they need help. It has been a culmination of all the other areas that have changed my daily interactions with my fellow students. It is because I’ve been forcing myself to think about my choices that I have instinctively reached out to others! It’s kind of funny that this area of the experiment seems to be “the twilight zone” of living deliberately. As I’ve been consciously aware of all the other actions I’ve made, this is the one thing that comes out of reaction and there’s definitely something there that will hopefully become clearer as week rolls on.

            I haven’t had the chance to run on the Rock Creek Trail yet because I needed to “get big” by using the weights at the AU gym. Similar to my dilemma in the bathroom, I felt guilty for not working out outside because it was such a beautiful, warm day. The guilt I’m forced to reconcile with has now become the theme of my experiment because this is what I believe the majority of the population today is faced with when discussing the notion of living deliberately, which ties directly into the notion of selfishness vs. altruism. Where does our morality, ethics, and reason fit into all these areas and how much should an individual do? At what cost? These are the questions that I intend to have an answer for by the end of the semester--------Ha.