— In the quiet moments between parenting and photography, Kelly pens sincere lines about modern life, echoing our Millennial climate. Here in Annapolis, she reflects at the start of a new year. Music by Jack DeJohnette, Ravi Coltrane, & Matt Garrison, featuring David Plumpton during the second half.
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Tuesday, January 3, 2017
After hitting snooze three times, wake up.
Complete day 5 of 21 Day Fix.
Understand that this is round seventeen because you love peanut butter and tortilla chips more than the idea of your thighs not touching.
Shower. Take your time- this is all the alone time you’ll get today.
Eat cereal with milk. Use the almond milk. Whether you like it or not, you are lactose intolerant.
Drive to coffee shop. Yes, it’s crowded, the espresso machines are loud, and coffee is overpriced, but you like the lighting and the way your hair smells when you leave.
Stand in line, order, close your eyes and believe that when you turn around, a corner table will be available so you can pretend to have your own home office.
Thank the universe.
Earbuds in. Pick a playlist and people watch. Even though you have shit scattered all over the table, you won’t do anything for the next hour (or two).
Open laptop. Open new word document. Begin to type. Realize you are still wearing the wedding band you found in your closet two days ago. Become aware of the fact that it has been seven years since your divorce. Don’t take it off; it’s a reminder that you are not utterly afraid of commitment. Plus, it’s shiny and you paid for it.
Sip coffee.
Wonder what everyone else is working on. Wonder what’s going on in their lives. Wonder what their stories are.
John Legend is belting out “Ordinary People”. How fitting. Turn it up. Remember the guy you dated who said he didn’t care for John Legend’s voice? The same guy said he loved the song “All of Me”. He was an ass.
Deafening Spotify ads bring you back to reality. Turn volume down. While you hate those interruptions, you can’t afford to pay for Premium. You’re broke. One day, simply telling your stories will allow you to live comfortably.
Here’s to the fools who dream.
Down coffee.
Begin writing.
Write about this moment and the moments leading up to this moment.
Be present. When one is fully present, they are truly alive. You don’t know that to be true, you read it somewhere.
However, you do believe that we should all live an honest life.
Honestly, coffee is your truth serum.
Sip slow.
About the Poet
She takes pictures. She writes. She never learned to summarize, and her mind is running a neverending marathon. Kelly Nahaj creates stories about life moments in the hope that sharing honest words will help people realize that they are never alone and always enough.