You will be soon be reminded of the beauty of simplicity

I read this in a fortune cookie after concluding a meal at P.F. Chang’s in Dearborn, MI. It was a table for one. Due to my travel schedule, I had a 2-hour window in advance of my flight and didn’t need any extra airport time. And because my phone’s battery had been dried out during the conference that day, I had to plug it in at an outlet at a different table fifteen feet away. So there I was, sitting at a table solo, preparing to place my dinner order. Although I was doing some light notetaking on my computer, it was not connected to Wifi.

The waiter was efficient and polite, and I ordered a won ton soup, Changs spicy chicken with brown rice, and some green beans. The food was also efficient and polite – the soup was perfectly hot, the chicken was perfectly crispy and saucy, and the green beans met expectations in every way.

I took my time while still creating a bit of a mess, spearing pieces of chicken with my fork, rubbing it through the plate of brown rice, and using my fingers to ensure too much rice didn’t topple through and over the bite that needed every intended kernel.

The full meal took about 40 minutes, and I had my computer out for the first 20. The restaurant was quiet and peaceful. There were 4 other occupied in a room that had 30, a small bar with two muted TVs. The most activity was prompted by a handful of takeout orders that created some dialogue and runners to confirm names – “For Ashley?”

I ate quickly at my own pace and thanked the waiter for his help. Him providing the check coincided with me declining desert, and the enjoyable meal warranted a 20+% tip. While I didn’t say this out loud, I said it out loud in my head when he put the check down. “I don’t need dessert. The fortune cookie serves as dessert.” There were two fortune cookies. I picked up one. And in it read my fortune – You will soon be reminded of the beauty of simplicity. It wasn’t soon. It was then. Now.

What made it simple? A table for 1. No distractions. Delicious bites of food. A quiet environment. A friendly waiter.

Simple and simplicity are not words that present themselves in our current everyday lives. There are numerous reasons for that. Our minds don’t have patience for simplicity. But deep down, they still crave it. And enjoy it. Eating a meal at your own pace without texting or scrolling creates a simple feeling. A twenty minute drive from A to B without traffic can represent a similar disposition.

I wish everyone received this fortune. Because it would allow everyone to take a deep breath.