Counting

We count by steps, cigarettes, fleeting glances, and sips of a drink late in the evening. We measure distance and estimate the future by numbers. As we count, we try to grasp our existence and contextualize ourselves within the world we inhabit.

I look at the blue sea and wouldn’t dare to count the waves I see within my optical depth of field. But as soon as I enter the sea, I count my hand movements, inhales, exhales, and seconds underwater. This way, I can make sense of my environment by measuring myself. And through this, I feel in control. But then again, a feeling doesn’t mean anything to anything or anybody except the self.