Getting Soft

Of all the things that are supposed to make you happy in life, the most effective are often not very exciting. The exciting things are often a real crapshoot. Things ranging from consumer electronics to nights out drinking and partying can sound great, but even when they pay off their impact is limited. There are little things that make a steady impact, and not just a small one either. I find it hard to appreciate them properly, even as I extol them.

Pillows are a fine example. I've got a terrible pillow right now. I've gone with it for the last couple years, maybe. I thought it would be a good one, as it was at least in the mid-range of pillows at Target. I went for a firmer one, which maybe was my big mistake. It is definitely not intensely comfortable. Lately the cumulative effect of all those nights laying my head on it has been making itself known. I don't sleep well on it, nor do I rush to try sleeping most nights, with that being one contributing factor.

Another problem is the feathers. The pillow is filled with feathers, which I guess I didn't realize was still a common practice until they started leaking out. I hate it. They poke me, they get in my hair and they wind up all over the carpet. It feels like I'm sleeping in a damn chicken coop, and the effect is really complete if I open the window a crack to get that rooftop feel. I really would like a pillow that is not bursting with horrible feathers.

The question now is how quickly my feelings of disdain for the pillow will turn into action. I can find a much better pillow at the same Target, and it will amount to no more than an hour or so of effort. If I am smart and spend the money that it costs to get a good pillow, it will probably be the most judicious expenditure I could possibly make to improve my lot in life at the moment. I'll be happier as a direct consequence, and I'll be more productive as well. Maybe I'll get to it tomorrow.