I felt so inexplicably tired in the late afternoon today. The day of work drained me way more than usual. As I got into my car, I found myself longing to drive home and lounge on the sofa or take a nap (something I never do). Unfortunately, I needed to head to campus for a 3.5 hour night class. Most of the car ride down to campus, my mind was consumed with thoughts of how to treat myself in order to wake up.
And then, I stopped to consider - if I feel this drained after 6 hours of work in the office, how drained must a slave laborer, forced to work 12-16 hours each day, must feel at all times.
No, this train of thought didn't grant me any new sense of energy. Far from it. It did, however, help me shift my thoughts from myself to other people. This life isn't all about me and my own sense of comfort. I forget that fact way too frequently in a society that constantly screams, "Me! Me! Me!" My current state and circumstances are way beyond what most will ever know, and I need to remain grounded in the realities of other beyond just myself. Shifting focus to others is essential, and I hope to be reminded to do so time and time again.
