Turns out carrots aren't just good for your eyes...

Art By Anna-Laura Sullivan

So recently I’ve been cooking more. I know it’s kind of a big deal.

I’M CHOPPING THINGS WITH MY OWN HANDS.

But no one told me it would take five extra minutes to cut up zucchini and carrots. Possibly seven if you’re trying to use a regular knife instead of a kitchen knife because you’d rather do anything else than clean another kitchen utensil.

Five. Whole. Minutes.

Just think of all of the other things I could get done in five minutes. Like answering people’s texts from two weeks ago, or scrolling through instagram, or reading a book because I told myself I should have more fun and start reading for fun (are we having fun yet?).

Or why am I even suggesting FUN? I should be WORKING. Work, work, work, all the time, how dare you even think of relaxing? THERE IS ALWAYS MORE TO DO. HOW DARE YOU THINK TO RELAX. SHAME ON YOU. *smoke begins to pour out of her ears*.

Anyway.

As I was chopping my carrots with my new vegetable chopper –which I also will not clean until I absolutely have to– I realized something.

I wanted this.

I wanted to learn to cook more than eggs and toast every morning. I wanted to not eat protein bars for two meals a day. I wanted to know what fresh herbs and spices can actually do, rather than just exist in my kitchen for the cute vibes until they eventually expire.

And I will learn that from taking 5 extra minutes to chop things.

…so why do I feel like I’m being pulled in a million other directions?

The reality is we have a lot of time, and also not all the time in the world. So how exactly is it that we want to spend our time? What are the things we value? And even if it doesn’t hold as much value to others or society at large, why does it have value to us?

And maybe by reminding ourselves why we chose to do these things in the first place, we will find ourselves wanting to do them without as much of a struggle.

Except cleaning. I’m still just rinsing it off with water.