Maybe a Boring Life is Exciting

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I love sitting in a cafe with my cappuccino amidst my school work as I type away at my computer, working on an essay for my English class. When I find myself in a rhythm as my fingers perfectly punch away at the keys and music pulses through my headphones, there is no better feeling. 

I was listening to one of my childhood songs,“Going to California” by Led Zeppelin, as I was walking home from campus. The light was gleaming through the trees, exposing the leaves’ nostalgic orange hue as they fell to the sounds of Jimmy Page’s acoustic guitar. It was utterly beautiful. 

Moments such as these are often overlooked or dismissed as insignificant; however, they are anything but that. 

Belgian filmmaker Chantal Akerman is best known for her film “Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce 1080 Bruxelles,” which is three hours and 18 minutes long. It exemplifies the meaning in the mundane through the depiction of a widowed housewife’s life over three days. The film contains hundreds of static shots of Dielman going through the tasks of her daily routine. These tasks vary from cooking to cleaning to even her just sitting alone at her kitchen table. 

Chantal Akerman's 'Jeanne Dielman' Is a True Action Movie

Despite Dielman not saying almost anything at all during the film, Akerman can convey so much meaning about her as a character through her renditions of these tasks. 

If a filmmaker is able to make an intricate three-hour film out of a woman’s daily life through the use of static camerawork and lengthy takes, is there something we are overlooking in our own lives? 

Often, we only concern ourselves about the job interview, class presentation or the other “monumental” events which appear to be the only arbitrators for our future. Yet, the everyday tasks are the ones that come together to make us who we are. Not to say we should overlook these larger events, but we should also provide attention to the smaller details as well. 

In a literal sense, we spend more time cleaning, studying or responding to emails than we do partaking in colossal events. These tasks act as a building block to conquering the larger ones. 

Romanticizing the mundane provides one with motivation to persevere through each day, as the days often begin to blend into one another during times of high stress. In such a fast-paced, digitized world, where individuals are in a hyper-competitive environment, it can be extremely difficult to slow down and appreciate these rituals as a time of peace. 

Our culture’s obsessive demand for productivity and work causes us to forget our human need for stillness. Romanticizing trivial moments, such as walks to work or studying, can help nourish that neglected need. 

Strike out,

Sydney Annis

Editor: McKenna Edwards

Athens