The Comfort of Retro Games and Childhood Dreams
I’m sitting on the sofa right now, a cup of coffee in hand and exactly half a Twix bar waiting for me. It’s sunny outside, hovering around 23 degrees. I recently downloaded a retro console emulator onto my Mi Box, and there’s something incredibly satisfying about just navigating the TV with a gamepad. It works perfectly, and for a moment, things feel simple.
Sleep and Starlight
I’ve actually slept well the last two nights. I spent some time looking up at the stars and praying before bed, and it turns out my mind really needed that kind of peace. Still, my sleep isn't perfect. I keep waking up at the exact same times—3:40, 4:00, or sometimes 5:00 AM. I can't quite figure out if it's my sinuses acting up so I can't breathe normally, or if it's just my nerves keeping me on edge. Today, I don't even have the energy to pick up a book. Maybe I'll look for one later, but right now, I just want to zone out.
Pop Culture and Overpriced Basics
Earlier today, my sister and I got into a conversation about Kanye West and Kim Kardashian. She was wearing a shirt that reminded me of Kim’s brand, Skims. It sent me down a rabbit hole, checking out their official site. I honestly don't get it. Why does a basic swimwear set—literally just minimal fabric and an open body—cost the same as regular, fully designed clothing? It’s baffling to me. Speaking of money, my brain also drifted to MrBeast. I saw he makes something like $24 million a month just from YouTube. That’s not even counting the chocolates or the toys kids buy. It’s a crazy scale of the world that feels so far away from this sofa.
Escaping into Animation
When it comes to unwinding, my brain just rejects anything heavy right now. I scrolled through my bookmarks—The Sopranos, Cosmos with Carl Sagan, Signs, Indiana Jones, and heavy French dramas like Irreversible. But those profound, meaningful stories feel like too much work. Instead, I put on the ninth episode of Samurai Jack. Watching it brought back a wave of nostalgia. There was a time in my childhood when I desperately wanted to be an animator. I didn't fully understand what it meant back then; I just wanted to draw cartoons. About 14 or 15 years ago, I even drew my own comics and posted them on Tumblr. Sitting here watching Samurai Jack navigate an underwater world inside the transparent head of a robot fish, I’m reminded of those old dreams of creating worlds from scratch. Sometimes, sixteen minutes of quiet reflection, a gamepad, and an old cartoon are exactly what you need to get through the day.