Rio de Janeiro: 25 degrees, overcast and rain.
Today has been a pleasantly odd day. There has been a touch of productivity, but nothing like what I am accustomed to.
In the morning, I went to the Portuguese bakery early, did my daily journal entry, drank two large black coffees, went home, and gave a couple of classes. Nothing out of the ordinary.
Malu, the dentist’s secretary of Doctor Thomas, called me and asked if I could put my appointment back one hour. The truth is that when somebody asks you to change the time of an appointment, it is because they cannot honour that time anymore, and you really don’t have any choice. I accepted it, of course, because I had no choice, and now my appointment would be at 2:00 p.m. instead of 1:00 p.m.
So, I went to Copacabana earlier, visited some friends to say goodbye quickly, and arrived early at the dentist for the appointment. Doctor Thomas put the last touches to my teeth so that I could travel in peace; now I can smile. I thanked him for all he had done, as it is a record for me to go to a dentist at least four times in a month, let alone a year or even five years.
I had to cancel Dona Vera’s class because the dentist appointment was later and longer than originally planned. I didn’t want to do it, but I had to; I had no choice. I left the dentist’s clinic feeling sublimely happy with myself. One more task was completed, and it is also something for me: investing in myself and not others, which I have had to do for such a long time.
Over the past couple of months, I have noticed how much I have prioritised others and not myself over the years, letting go of myself. My teeth and financial situation are examples of this. My life, like anybody else’s, is a representation of the choices that we make and a reflection of those choices.
Over the last six months, I have slowly shifted my focus more towards myself than others, but this does not mean that I have neglected my responsibilities or duties; it is just prioritising my well-being, too.
Now I have my documents and money in the bank. I’m fit, in shape, feeling good, looking good, and making plans for the next year and beyond. Oh, and I’m travelling to England in two days. How good is that?
When I arrived home, I saw that Perola had not eaten anything. I asked Yasmin, who said she had looked for herself but had not mixed anything in Perola’s food to encourage her to eat. If you give her raw, dry food with nothing with it, meat, sauce, etc., something more interesting for her to eat and trick her into eating, she won’t eat because she’s fussy and, in some ways, more intelligent than us.
I asked Yasmin why she hadn’t put some food aside from what she was preparing, and she tried to give me a silly excuse that she didn’t know about it and really that we shouldn’t. Yasmin was trying to bullshit me with a bullshit excuse; I felt that she was a little selfish and self-centred in not doing what she should have done for her dog.
I tried to resolve the situation with her, but it feels almost impossible to communicate with a teenager at this age. No matter what we adults say, the self-centred adolescent often believes they are always right and we are always wrong.
It’s not that I dislike teenagers; rather, navigating these interactions can be complicated. I understand that this is a challenging time for them as their bodies and hormones are changing. However, getting them to do the right thing can be very difficult—though I believe it’s not impossible.
I gave another two or three classes, had a sandwich later, and went to bed content, sublimely serene, and happy with my teeth and my plans.
In bed by 9.30 p.m.
Thank you.
Thanks for reading this blog post. Please explore my other posts and share your thoughts in the comments section.
Richard
