Dream and reality: no match

One of the small real life drama-days when advertising dreams clash on harsh reality. After rewriting a chapter of my book in the morning I saw the sky clearing and suddenly one of those iconic advertising images started creeping up in the back of my mind. You know the ones, there’s always one of those modern clothed successful but open minded city people sitting somewhere outside with his laptop, looking über- cool, sipping a drink while checking mail? Beats the library. That’s getting boring. Quick decision making: pack it up and move it, man! Let’s go outside.

Of course my laptop will be sadly omitted from this scene since the new battery has not yet arrived. Ah well. I wouldn’t be able to see my screen anyway, in the sun. But still. I had a nice fantasy-picture in my mind. I printed a stack of notes and headed for a Blenz with a nice terrace. Iced Cappuchino. Check. A free table. Check. Papers. Check. Pen. Check. So far the fantasy works. Get moving!

Ah yes, let’s move on to reality. Squinting against the sun because no sunglasses? Check. A wobbly table? Check. A group of Korean students having a competition on who can laugh loudest and longest in the most shrill high pitched voice? Check. Cigarette smoke all around you? Check. A little chilly breeze making the air just a little uncomfortable, and lifting papers, sending two sheets flying and me running after them? Check. Trying to keep up even the slightest bit of coolness, sipping from your coffee holding some papers down, moving a ashtray on some others while trying to write some notes into the main text? Not possible. Another shattered fantasy..

What is possible, though is having a good, loud laugh on yourself (though not by a long stretch outsounding the winning Korean girl), admitting you’re NOT cool, just cold, packing your stuff and moving inside, to warm up your insides with a Yerba Mate Tea. Make that a large one.