Ch 1: Time is Precious
“Anxiety is the dizziness of freedom.” — Soren Kierkegaard
Rachelle
I hate my name. No matter how many times I’ve tried to accept its meaning, I can’t. My mother admonishes me for this flaw, claiming that I should embrace my namesake: someone calm, compassionate, and nurturing. Stating that if I do so, everything will fall into place.
Well, she’s wrong. About that and everything else she’s ever told me. Because embracing a nature that I don’t have won’t fix anything, it’s a fluff piece that parents use to encourage their children to conform to a certain way of thinking. Not advice, or a solution.
Anyway, I don't have time to keep entertaining her, so I don't. We talk whenever she decides to leave the subject alone. If not, I ignore her spiel and cut the conversation short.
Because my time is precious, and I refuse to waste it on anything.
Was that sufficient for a monologue? Good.
Now my real story can begin.
There are exactly 86,400 seconds in a day. And almost every one of them is accounted for. In my daily routine, at least.
For example, when I woke up this morning at precisely 3:00 AM, I spent no less than 1200 seconds on my personal hygiene. Sometimes more if I require a thorough shower beforehand.
Why do I dedicate so much time? Well, I'm thirty-three years old and have an obsession with staying young, or appearing as such.
As any self-respecting woman, I love my hair. In fact, it takes a quarter of my hygiene time each day. Carefully, I brush it, removing any knots or tangles without damaging my locks. Then I apply a leave-in conditioner from my roots to the ends to keep my hair silky smooth all day long.
When I shower and during my hygiene tasks, I let my hair air dry with the products in it.
I never use heat, curling irons, or hair dyes either. Why? Because heat and styling tools damage hair follicles, and dyes are for greying adults and mentally unstable people. I'm neither.
Additionally, I take great pride in my teeth, so I spend half of my daily hygiene time on them. First, I floss, meticulously removing the food particles, then I rinse with a flavorless antiseptic mouthwash. This cleanses excess bacteria from my mouth.
Once the stinging settles, I gargle some water and then thoroughly brush my teeth. With an electric, circulating toothbrush for optimal cleaning. After I rinse with water and spit, I place a breath strip on my tongue.
This keeps my breath fresh. No one wants stinky breath when talking to people, or for others to point it out.
Finally, I focus on my face. It needs to be clean with a healthy shine, but not too much, or it looks like I have greasy skin.
Gently, I exfoliate my face with a fragrance-free cleanser. Unfortunately, my skin is sensitive and requires constant observation and diligence.
After letting it absorb into my skin, I wash it off with warm water, patting it until it's almost dry. By leaving some moisture behind, it makes applying my facial mask easier.
Every day, I use a collagen renewal mask. It makes my skin glow and elastic, preventing wrinkles and eye bags. No one has time for old, worn-out skin or ugly pouches under their eyes.
I know I don't.
Once my morning tasks are done, I resume my day.
From 3:30 until 4:30, or 3600 seconds, I make breakfast. The reason it takes so long? Oh, that's simple. Every food item that I eat is carefully measured based on nutrition and caloric value.
I do this to maintain my weight, so that I don't become a fat, disgusting pig. Nobody wants to date or marry one of those.
After my meal is ready, I slowly consume it over 1800 seconds. This ensures proper digestion and curbs any potential snacking. I don't need unnecessary food items sitting in my stomach, taking up space that could be used on something healthy.
Slowly, I drink my black coffee while my food digests for another 1800 seconds. Digestion helps keep my body functioning properly, and without it, I could get sick or become hospitalized.
Both scenarios are undesirable, as I don't have time for either one.
Promptly at 6:00 every morning, I exercise until 6:45, or for approximately 2700 seconds. These strict, timed exercises maintain my overall physique and health. Without them, I might gain weight or become weaker.
Do I have time for that? No.
Until 7:00, I take a deep breath and allow my body to relax. Because these 900 seconds will be the only break I receive for the majority of the day.
Once this is over, I prep my lunch for the day. Thankfully, this doesn't take long, about 120 seconds, as I mainly consume a few vegetables, an apple, and a bottle of water.
At 7:15, I toss my waitress uniform on. To maintain a clean, professional look, I wrap my long blonde hair into a tight bun atop my head and run a lint brush over my shirt and apron.
I spritz some magnolia perfume on my neck and wrists to smell appealing to customers, but not too much that they complain.
By 7:30, or another 900 seconds, I grab my keys and leave for work. The trip is half an hour, or 1800 seconds, meaning I arrive by 8:00 sharp each day.
Punctuality is key at work, as it is with everything else in my life.
Because my time is precious, and I refuse to waste it on anything.
