A Day in the Life
Turning ordinary routines into sacred rituals
On the 19th of January 1967, John, Paul, George and Ringo went to their recording studio in Abbey Road to begin recording “A Day in the Life”, a groundbreaking recording pushing the production limits of the four-track studio to new creative levels on the landmark album “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.”
Lyrically, the song narrates the events of an ordinary day, juxtapositioning serious news events with the everyday mundanities of running late and catching a bus, highlighting the tension between personal routines and larger societal events as Lennon and McCartney take turns with their vocals.
“I read the news today, oh boy. About a lucky man who made the grade. And though the news was rather sad. Well, I just had to laugh. I saw the photograph. He blew his mind out in a car. He didn't notice that the lights had changed.”
John Lennon
“Woke up, fell out of bed, dragged a comb across my head. Found my way downstairs and drank a cup, and looking up I noticed I was late. Found my coat and grabbed my hat, made the bus in seconds flat. Found my way upstairs and had a smoke, and somebody spoke and I went into a dream.”
Paul McCartney
These are the daily events of our ordinary lives, navigating our local concerns and trivialities against a backdrop of global chaos and tragedies. So many triggers to throw us off the path, to distract and derail us through boredom or terror.
But mastery emerges and is honed through ordinary routines, creating a system and sticking with it. A system that keeps us on the path. Einstein developed his theory of relativity whilst working a day job at the Swiss Patent Office, where the undemanding work provided mental space and stability, allowing him to reflect deeply on complex problems and develop groundbreaking ideas. Charles Bukowski worked as a postal clerk before becoming a celebrated poet expressing the drudgery of working life, and the struggles of ordinary people. And of course, The Beatles honed their sound through countless performances in ordinary clubs and bars in Liverpool and Hamburg.
An ordinary day can turn out to be dreary or tragic - but we can bring significance to it by having reverence for our health and fitness practices. Approaching our workouts with mindful intentionality, and turning ordinary health and fitness routines into sacred rituals that bring meaning and purpose. A sanctuary of predictable stability and control in a crazy world.
The topic of chaos vs order is something I think about often, John. It has been said that in an absolute sense all is chaos. True or not, I live in a relative world and find that something as simple as putting car keys in a bowl by the back door helps calm my nervous system and quiet my mind. As you say, something reliable in an otherwise chaotic world.