ordinary joy

We had our air conditioner fixed recently. The next day I received a feedback survey by email. The job wasn’t finished, we needed parts. But still the survey came through.

The next day I went to a local store. They scanned my loyalty card and before I knew it I received another survey request.

When we want to watch a movie or find a restaurant we look them up online and read the reviews before even booking.

We live in a society that likes to rate and rank everything.

Though I am not against the idea of stores getting feedback to improve their service, I do have to wonder about this society where everything gets a rating. And what it is doing to our appreciation of the ordinary.

There are movies I love and watch over and again that have never received a 5-star rating. Our favourite local Asian restaurant only gets 3.3 on Zomato (I just looked!) And rating a company before the job is even finished seems a bit bizarre (or is it just me!)

Social media adds to this ranking and rating culture where the number of followers and likes equals your worth.

At the start of this year Mr and I decided to go to a random restaurant on a whim. We didn’t look at the reviews before we went, but we knew it was a great location. And let’s be honest, the meal wasn’t great. But that beautiful summer night we sat outside and saw one of the most amazing lightning storms we have ever seen.

In the midst of an average meal, we saw a spectacular beauty. We found that in the ordinary there was joy.

I wonder what would happen if we let things be ordinary more often, instead of expecting exceptional food, outstanding movies and incredible service all the time?

What if we just appreciated the smaller moments of ordinary joy, if we had an average meal but an incredible sky over us?

What if we look for the joy in the ordinary? What if we let life surprise us, by watching a movie without reading the reviews first, or eating at a restaurant just on the basis of a walk by gut feeling?

Yes, we may be disappointed, but we also may be excited by the surprise of a new discovery.  I believe in a culture where we are trying to avoid being disappointed, we sometimes miss out on some of the spontaneity in life.

And on that summer night, after Mr and I had our average dinner under an amazing sky, we then had one of the best ice-creams I’ve ever had.

Ordinary joy!

It’s there if we are willing to let ourselves be open to new adventures.

Jodie