Reason for being
## Chapter 2
That morning I woke up from the weirdest fucking nightmare I have ever had. Me and the 2 buffons Crab and Goyle were cooking thanksgiving dinner together, while I prepared the Turkey, Crab and Goyle tried their luck at making eggnok and completely drained that in alcohol and got us pissed drunk. After which we decided to have a showdown between a frog and a toad so I jinxed Crab and Goyle into their respective roles and enjoyed the show.
It was a ridiculous dream, stupid, silly and pointless and yet sad for it was the happiest dreams I had in a long while. I don’t know how to feel about this, is Hermione’s book jinxed like Voldemort’s Diary, though like a stupidly good wizard who went on his way helping friends and doing things the world needs. I sound positively gay.
Though is it really that bad to seek and do things that you love & are good at, while helping the world and better still get paid for it. Its simple and to me it sounds like the essence of a good life. I would know, none of us seem to enjoy being evil Death Eaters except perhaps Bellatrix and even I think she’s bat shit insane. So what am I to do now?
## Malfoy’s notebook second entry
Ikigai goes beyond just reason for living, it seems a Japanese village of ordinary muggles seems to outlive us magical wizards (well unless you’re the Nicolas Flamel or Lord Voldemort).
This book though goes beyond and talks about longitivity and apart from doing things, and cultivating a happy, busy (active), not-hurried way of life. It also has 2 other aspects that’s fairly important. First, what you eat - food, second being quality time with friends.
* side note - I can’t believe I am taking notes on a muggle book ... bleh! *
Let’s start with food - its imperative to eat only till you’re roughly 80% full, I can do that. Eat more vegetables and fish and less meat, grains and salt. Eat a vast variety of food (super easy), and always try to add all the colours of rainbow to your plate (little gay, but okay). More colour the better. Eating slowly helps a ton too, and that’s a habit I sorely need to cultivate, and smaller plates help in doing just that - yep Japs love their little plates for everything, and their complicated chopsticks. All people interviewed for this book (all 100 years old) have their own garden where they grow their own food, and they enjoy working in their gardens too (yeah I don’t do well in the magical botany class, maybe I can grow some Potter eating plants when I am older and wiser).
Now the friends or community, is being with a group of friends and doing things together, it could be getting together to sing, dance & play some chess. (okay...) And to care and feel wanted in this, this is often done in their communities where each memeber contributes an amount for all group expenditures like food and sake. They also use this to care for any members of the community who have fallen in hard times, and this helps them get back. And they may later choose to repay it. This truly strenthens the feeling of wellbeign withing the community and they become like family who do things together and look out for each other. (this ... actually seems kinda nice. But with who ... Crab & Goyle? They’re more like my lackies rather than friends, and I think those bastards will disappear off from my sight the moment I went broke).
The community of friends is truly a wonderful thing, for it gives you a reason to grow old together and keep doing things with those you shared your life with. Have something to look forward to at the end of each day (stupid mud blood Hermione bringing tears to my eyes with your muggle magic).
I must agree that a great test of health & having cared for one’s body can be gauged by a simple fact, how long do you live. If I am 102 years and still flying around on a broomstick, harassing Hermione and chugging Butterbeer - that’s a fucking good life to live.
By these individuals who’ve managed to live past 100 and some past 115; here are some of their advises on life in no particular order:
Smile often
Do not stress
Keep your mind and fingers busy
Walk often
Eat little or no meat
Eat variety
nurture great friendships and meet them often
Don’t burden your kids with things you can do
Laugh and play with grandkids
Sing and dance
Drink alcohol in moderation
Spend time in nature
Do some light exercise/stretching/yoga
DO NOT RETIRE
Find hobbies, maybe something small as waving off children going to school
And above all find your present Ikigai, it could be different a year from now, and that’s good. For now keep figuring out what makes you happy and the point where your passion, ambition, vocation, mission and vision can interesect. And keep your fingers moving, keep doing things, it could be trivial things like playing guitar to building a business that’ll save the planet. Find your Ikigai and keep doing.
/** Remaining I don’t know what to do with yet, maybe I’ll use as materials for his other entries in notebook.
....
## 3 years later back to present time
The door of the room of requirement appears. Quietly and carefully the door knob is turned and they enter.
What greets them is crazier than their wildest dreams....
Crabbe and Goyle are dancing, Astoria cooking with friends and laughing. Some sinister looking slytherin folks playing various magical games, drinking butterbeer and clearly having a wonderful innocent time. And in the center of it all Malfoy meditating with a group of more sinister looking folks, with peaceful smiles on their face. A huge banner hung at the back - Happy Life Livers Club - Our reason for being.
/** ending may need some more build up, but there it is, draft 1 complete. Suggestions are welcome.
