[Update] Morning Routine
"Steve, are you ready?" Is what I hear at 3:45 AM on a weekday morning. I'm not sure exactly what city I'm in. I know I'm somewhere in Kentucky though. I climb out of my sleeping bag and rub my eyes, looking out towards the back of the van at my dear teacher and mentor, beckoning me to get ready for the day. Cleanliness is next to godliness, or as the preeminent theologian and philosopher, Srila Prabhupada, once said: "cleanliness is godliness," so we like to start our days with proper hygienic practices. After climbing over my teacher's sleeping bag and climbing off the platform of the van, I stand on the stack of deconstructed cardboard boxes being used as a floor mat, and put my toiletry bag on our IGLOO cooler which holds a week's worth of food. Then, after brushing my teeth in the van, I undress and wrap a towel around my waist. It's time to shower. At this point my teacher has already finished and is checking the news on his phone. At this point in America, the political situation seems a little tense, so he likes to stay informed as much as practical. The Big Buddy heater also on our cooler is starting to slightly burn me so I turn around, open the door of the van, and spit out my toothpaste. After washing my toothbrush, the moment of truth arrives. I hop out of the van and look around for cars because we are in a parking lot of a department store and it's already about 4:00 AM, so workers can start to arrive any time now. They don't mind us staying the night in our van, but showering in public is not looked upon so kindly by the establishments or the law. After determining that the coast is clear, I take the gallon jug of water and dump it on my body. It's also 33 degrees out. I pour it on my head, my left shoulder and arm, back, waist and legs, and then my right shoulder and arm. I am cold and and hop back in the van. Shivering, I lather up with my lemon Dr. Bronner's soap for a minute or so, and, looking out at the parking lot once more, I hop out and rinse myself with another gallon of water. After cleaning all of the soap off of my body, I hop back in my van and dry off with my other towel. It is now about 4:18 AM and my teacher is ready to head off to our destination for the day. He squeezes past me, walks out the back door of the van, and goes and sits in the driver's seat, waiting for me. As I get dressed in my winter gear- since I'm from Florida, spring in Kentucky is like winter in FLorida- I am feeling a profound sense of satisfaction unlike any other. Externally, my life looks miserable. I just slept in a van in a parking lot in Kentucky. I had to take a bucket shower in the near freezing cold. I woke up hours before the sunrise. And now, I'm on my way to a university to sit at a table outside for about 8 hours and give books to people. This is a really sad situation materially speaking. Is this where my two Bachelor's degrees got me? Is this where all of my 23 years of life has been leading me? Living well below the basic standards and working longer than most people? While this may be the situation externally, internally I am ecstatic. No one can understand why I am so happy.
This entry was a little bit of an exercise in narrative-style writing, which I am not so experienced at. I am very happy to be doing this blog because, at the core of my being, thanks to the grace and expert guidance of my AP Lit/Lang teacher in high school, Mrs. Barnett, I love to write. During my time in those courses I was very determined to become a writer. It's always been a part of my life since those faithful two years, especially during the latter 3 years of my time in college, but now, having thus graduated and having more freedom of what and how to write, I feel more satisfaction in the act than before.