A peculiar rhythm

Rhythm is a fundamental thing.

The Gospel from John begins as follow "in the beginning was the Word." I asked one the Orthodox priest once.

"What was the word?"

He said

"It was a sound, a vibration, a rhythm."

In Wikipedia, the rhythm is defined as the alternation of some elements (for example, sound or speech) occurring in a certain sequence and at a certain frequency.

Rhythms come in different varieties in a verse, music, work of myocardia, biorhythms and so on. In this essay, I want to talk about the rhythms, the exact definition of which I do not know. There is some strange periodicity in life, the periodicity of bursts and discharges.

Sometimes you sit in front of the computer like a morbid lump, nothing comes to mind, you jump from one YouTube video to another. Everything seems wrong, everything you have already seen, everything is boring. You wish that, at least, the phone would ring, and on the other end of it be whoever: friends, wife, children... No, nothing, complete calm.

Other times it is the other way around. Suddenly, an idea jumps to your mind, like a starling who came to drink the water in the pool, as if someone had shoved this idea into your head and you think, “oh, now I will implement it in writing media.” Everything appears immediately: the plot, the characters, the theme and the whole idea materialized from beginning to end. Only please, please, please! People, please don’t interfere!

This is not how it happens, somehow. It is at this moment, for some reason, the phone starts ringing. Wife calls and gives you a long and boring list of honey dues. You answer it sharply, irritatedly …

“Oh well. Ok, I’ll do it" while answering in your mind “Leave alone! For now, only for now, while I'm writing, while the idea is still hot." Well, ok the wife seems to have calmed down.

Then the children are starting to call. They need to share their victories, ideas, sorrows. You are monotonously buzzing in response.

“Yes, yes, I understand. Well, of course. Certainly, Well and what about you? and he (or she)? Really? Well, that’s great!” thinking to yourself "Why or why didn’t you call yesterday? Why now?"

These clots of experience are pertained not only to creativity but also to other important indicators of ordinary life. There are long periods when nothing special happens, and then a short burst, when everything happens all at once.

Such a moment happened today. For several days already, I was patrolling the price of one stock to buy it at the very bottom, right before the trend would turn. As it turned out, two days ago, my air conditioner broke down. Living in Miami this made the temperature in my house at 90 degrees Fahrenheit. My brains started to melt.

I started hassling. I called the insurance company and requested a tech, bought a portable air conditioning and am waiting. The stock price continues going down. I cannot make a purchase. Finally, the tech comes at 10 o'clock in the morning. I stand with him while he changes the engine in the condenser. It would be scary not to check his work. People in Miami are somewhat relaxed. They might forget to tighten the nut.

Out of the corner of my eye noticing - the Terminator arrived. Today, it turned out, is the day to poison the termites and other bastard insects. The A/C tech left, but I had to walk along the Terminator just to make sure he’d pour his poison everywhere he supposed to.

As soon as he left my wife calls (She and my son went to Israel for a wedding) “Immediately pay for this and that, or else they'll hang a fine on us.” Ok. I’m calling and chatting with the lady, explaining that it was not our fault because of this and that. Finally paid. The temperature in the apartment is going down. I'm looking at the stock price. Dammit! I missed the very bottom of the dive. It already climbed 20 cents us. God Damn!

That's what this rhythm is all about. Just like with girls. For a long time it might be nothing and nothing, and then, suddenly, two at once, and easily, without difficulty.