On a Rainy Day

On a rainy day at the coffee shop beside a park, Kaikai was drinking coffee. The park was lush and green and very pleasant. But somehow he felt a little dizzy and had a slight headache. “Why am I not feeling well?” Kaikai wondered. In a moment, he realized that this was the second coffee of the day.

Yes, Kaikai wasn’t good with coffee and usually drank only one cup a day. Since he had drunk a cup early this morning, this was his second today. He tried to drink as much water as possible to ease his discomfort, but he realized the unease wasn’t just from the coffee. Actually, that morning he had seen an SNS post: his friend had just been promoted at a prestigious company. Kaikai and his friend had known each other since university. It was great news, but Kaikai couldn’t simply celebrate when he realized his friend’s new salary would probably be double his own. He began to think that many people around him were achieving success, and he felt left behind.

“What if I stop comparing myself?” he suddenly thought. “What if I stop comparing myself to the people sitting around me in the coffee shop? What if... I stop comparing my social status to my friends’?” His mind began to soar, growing whiter and brighter. Actually, he realized that he would be happy enough if he stopped comparing himself to others. He had enough money to live for the next few months, a place to stay, and friends to talk to when he was sad. “Okay, so comparing is evil,” Kaikai thought. “But then I am evil,” he added. “I don’t want to compare, but I can’t stop comparing!”

This endless loop of thought wouldn’t settle. Therefore, he took a sip of coffee and gave up thinking further.