Every now and again it seems to come around again. It’s hard to say exactly how often it happens, but I would estimate it happens to me anywhere between three to ten times in a year. Some days, for no apparent reason, just seem off. It’s something just about everyone I have talked to can attest to experiencing. Everything can seem just fine, more or less, yet throughout the day I find myself feeling all around disconnected. It’s as if I consciously know and experience everything the same as usual yet, on some level, everything feels unmistakably odd and unnatural. There is no short way to describe it. Really, there should a new word for it that sounds much more elegant and and less vague than saying a day feels off. I go through these days, go to bed, and wake up the next day with everything feeling back to normal again.
Whenever I have these days, everything for some reason feel empty. Every action, every step, and every conversation seems like a missed opportunity. It’s as if every single minute of the day was wasted somehow, and as if every decision was an irreversible mistake. The specifics of these days go forgotten, but the feeling is unforgettable.
When I stop to think about it, these days should not be all too surprising to me. The life that is expected of people now leaves little time for silence or rest. Each day is a constant race from place to place, from one obligation to another, and from one thought to the next. When rest does happen, it typically feels shallow and rushed. It seems more of a temporary escape from life rather than a replenishment of it.
I’d like to think these days are tying to tell me something. Even if I feel obligated to be here or there, to say this or to do that, maybe I don’t really need to. Perhaps I don’t need to fill the air with words as much as I think I do. Those times that felt like missed opportunities could have been opportunities to stop and be silent. They could be opportunities to reflect and learn something new about myself or someone else. Hopefully as I grow wiser, and as I learn to rest better, I can begin to replace those off days with ones that truly replenish life in me.
words from the valley 
I know all too well what you mean. One of the worst thing about having an off day is that nobody else is having one, and their generally pleasant existence is irritating. Even worse is when they treat you like an alien who knows nothing about human interaction because for unknown reasons, the world has decided it’s not your friend today. The phenomenon happens more often than I like, though it always passes eventually. Tomorrow will be kinder. Maybe not tomorrow-tomorrow, but some tomorrow. As long as I know that, I can keep walking.
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