Towards a New Definition of Rest
The Non-Decision
Recently, I found a weakness of myself. Of all the things I can do, understand, or feel that I can do: I am terrible at making catering orders.
I found this at work recently. Preparing for a fellowship program, I was tasked with building the catering order for 20 people for two days. This was profoundly more painful than it needed to be. Balancing between people’s dietary restrictions, what would make sense given the program before and after that lunch, or what would not look cheap for the participants. I hated it. Why?
Hear me now: I have had the same lunch for 2 years, and the lunch before that? Do not ask. My 5am-5pm deity has changed maybe once every year or two, and I make dinner for the week at one time. Am I gnarly? Yes. Neurotic? Yes.
Explaining this to my teammates, I had to defend my little life. I simply don’t want to decide these things all the time. I want to eat healthy, tasty-enough food and move on with my life. I’m persuaded by the idea of a limited decisions per day. Decision fatigue is as true as change fatigue.
I don’t want to decide things until they are necessary.
A few friends and I recently met up for dinner. How did this happen? One of them offered the place, the time, and offered to pay. TO PAY. Apart from already wanting to spend time with them, all I had to do was say yes. THAT’S IT. The utter relief I felt from this bone-level.
Being a single man, I’m aware(ish) of the dating etiquette these days. The emphasis that a man should have a place, time, and reservation set is a bold underline in the MoU of a date. Why is this? Apart from being a nice thing to do, it is another moment for a non-decision.
I think of how companies like Blue Apron now exist, removing the decision of what to make for dinner and the friction in going to a store.
I think of the success of TikTok, an app that is immediately awesome and that requires even less work than other apps. The distance to enjoying the content on TikTok is much less than taht found on Instagram or Twitter.
What is this?
I believe we’re witnessing a change in life and a change in words. The idea of “rest” now contains this new definition: the absence of the need to decide.
More soon,
Trevor