This is the second post written during the writer's group that I've formed. The previous one was Look up. We meet at 10 am every Saturday in Callan Park. If you're in Sydney, you're welcome to join. Send me a message if you're interested!

A big fat mosquito bite on my hand

I’ve been bitten by mosquitoes 3 times in the past 15 minutes since I got here. My hands instinctively move to quell the itches before I even realise what is going on. I try to think of something to write, but my mind is fixated on the mosquito bites. 

I’m reminded of my late-summer nights hanging out with friends after high school graduation, when mosquito bites littered my arms and legs. Mosquito bites were so prevalent that I had developed a mindset to overcome this nuisance. I decided that instead of being annoyed by it, I would embrace the discomfort and treat it as pleasure instead. Most of our daily experiences have a fairly low modality, so any bit of variance can be taken as a pleasant surprise. I convinced myself that mosquito bites weren't irritating, but a symbol of joy. A reminder that I can defy the troubles of life and choose to find joy in them.

It's similar to a concept present in the book series "The Keys to the Kingdom", where immortality causes characters to view diseases as a commodity because they could experience something novel. Of course our physical bodies aren't immortal and we can suffer from serious injury, for the things that are mostly harmless, why not treat it like a novelty?

This mindset stems from absurdist philosophy. Unlike stoics, who find peace in things they can’t control, absurdists find joy in anything simply because they can. You can respond to life however you want, so you may as well use your freedom of will to enjoy it.

As the philosopher Albert Camus says, "One must imagine Sisyphus happy". I need to keep reminding myself of this mindset, because it's easy to get lost in the weeds, forgetting to look up and see the bigger picture.

Thanks for reading Meditations! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

This is the second post written during the writer's group that I've formed. The previous one was Look up. We meet at 10 am every Saturday in Callan Park. If you're in Sydney, you're welcome to join. Send me a message if you're interested!

A big fat mosquito bite on my hand

I’ve been bitten by mosquitoes 3 times in the past 15 minutes since I got here. My hands instinctively move to quell the itches before I even realise what is going on. I try to think of something to write, but my mind is fixated on the mosquito bites. 

I’m reminded of my late-summer nights hanging out with friends after high school graduation, when mosquito bites littered my arms and legs. Mosquito bites were so prevalent that I had developed a mindset to overcome this nuisance. I decided that instead of being annoyed by it, I would embrace the discomfort and treat it as pleasure instead. Most of our daily experiences have a fairly low modality, so any bit of variance can be taken as a pleasant surprise. I convinced myself that mosquito bites weren't irritating, but a symbol of joy. A reminder that I can defy the troubles of life and choose to find joy in them.

It's similar to a concept present in the book series "The Keys to the Kingdom", where immortality causes characters to view diseases as a commodity because they could experience something novel. Of course our physical bodies aren't immortal and we can suffer from serious injury, for the things that are mostly harmless, why not treat it like a novelty?

This mindset stems from absurdist philosophy. Unlike stoics, who find peace in things they can’t control, absurdists find joy in anything simply because they can. You can respond to life however you want, so you may as well use your freedom of will to enjoy it.

As the philosopher Albert Camus says, "One must imagine Sisyphus happy". I need to keep reminding myself of this mindset, because it's easy to get lost in the weeds, forgetting to look up and see the bigger picture.

Thanks for reading Meditations! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.