Obvious life lessons

Somehow I keep underestimating them

It started with a headache. An incessant, pinging pain at the back of my brain. I thought it was the byproduct of a busy Monday, of squinting at a screen so intensely as if I was looking at the sun itself.

At night, the headache morphed into muscle pain, scrunching me up in bed and making rest uncomfortable. This could be COVID. But rapid test after rapid test, the results were negative. I must be just a cold. I know what I’m doing.

I tried to sleep it off. Took Panadol. Changed clothes to refresh myself from all the cold sweat. I’ve got to get well before Thursday. A big boss was coming in from headquarters, and I’ve got a business meeting to host that evening. Who needs a doctor? I know what I’m doing.

On Thursday, I showed up in a suit and a nasally voice to match, waved hi to the big boss, hosted the meeting. I even stayed behind to chat with the attendees. I conquered the sickness. I knew what I was doing after all.

But not for long. I lost my voice the next day. Turns out that projecting my vocals to lead a meeting when I wasn’t fully recovered was a bad idea. I charaded my way through the workday. Ariel could never. I took lozenges, vitamins, more Panadol. I slept the weekend away. I know what I’m doing.

When I went into work again the following Monday, I still couldn’t speak. It was day eight of being sick, half of it without a voice, so I begrudgingly sauntered to a clinic. The doctor prescribed antibiotics, anti-inflammation medicine, and Panadol (ha!). He diagnosed me with influenza. I took my pills and woke up the next morning with some semblance of a croak coming out of my throat. It wasn’t exactly my voice, but finally my throat could emit something more than a cough.

Who knew that seeing a doctor and taking prescribed medication would work?

It’s obvious now, having visited the doctor and witnessing my voice slowly come back. But there are many other similar obvious life lessons that I somehow forget until I’m on the other side of it.

Like, who knew that by leaving my phone out of the bedroom, I’d clock in less screen time? And by replacing my doomscrolling with reading on my Kindle, I actually finish reading books?

Or that ditching podcasts in the morning in favor of letting my mind wander will inspire more novel essay ideas, like this one about short-form content?

Or that waking up just 30 minutes earlier before everyone else in the household gives me a calm and quiet time for my morning pages?

These life lessons are so straightforward that they’re boring and forgettable. I’m often too fixated on the “cutting edge”, thinking I can hack my way back to health. Every symptom reminded me of COVID or the common cold, both of which I had over-the-counter medications for. My hubris forgot the Flu existed.

This won’t be the last time I lose my voice. But I’ll know where to go the next time I feel something bad coming. I know what I’m doing.

Thank you to friends who would point out the obvious and not-so obvious:

Lavinia Iosub

and

Harrison Moore

.

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Update log:

• 📖 I’m blazing through Burn Book by Kara Swisher (68% completed), pun intended. If I wasn’t already a huge fan before, I’m even more so now. I really look up to her work ethic, critical thinking, and candor.

• 🪢 My friends gifted me friendship bracelets in celebration of Taylor Swift’s concert. I thought they were cute online but I didn't expect to be sooo touched when I got them. You bet I’m wearing them all week.

• 🦋 Singapore's collective effort in promoting the concert makes it feel like the whole city is the Eras concert for the whole week. It’s a vibe and I’m here for it.

• ⚖️ I settled on a dilemma about my art book after finding the long, slow, stupid, fun way (h/t

  Paul Millerd
  ).

• 💵 Read an article about this features writer who spent tens of thousands to save her relationship? l;dr: money doesn’t solve everything, but it affords flexibility.

• ✍🏼 Curious about writing online? My friends over at Write of Passage are hosting a free workshop next week.

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