The Restless Nest

Have you ever marvelled at just how organized and focused your brain gets when you try something new? Almost like it’s dusting off some long-lost knowledge and bringing it back to life?

Well, that’s exactly what happened to me last week—twice, in fact. As someone navigating the world with ADHD, moments of pure focus are like rare gems. So you can imagine how surprised and thrilled I was when an eggplant dish of mine and a story I wrote on the spot turned out to be beautiful, chaos-free masterpieces.

So, let’s start with the first. After three straight hours of writing, hunger hit me like a ton of bricks. I headed to the kitchen, opened a fully stocked fridge, and… froze. Now normally, a loaded fridge is a blessing (and it still is, trust me), but for me, it meant spending an entire episode of Downtown Abbey just trying to diced what to eat.

Then, something unexpected happened. My eyes landed on an eggplant. Strange, because I’m not exactly a fan of eggplants. Is it a vegetable or a fruit? Who knows? But there it was—the one item that didn’t trigger an avalanche of second-guessing.

With this one random eggplant in hand, my brain clicked into focus mode (which I swear is never under my control). One voice in my head said “slice,” while another said “dice.” By the time I’d heard the second voice, I’d already forgotten the first, so I started dicing. And from there, I was off and running.

Before I knew it, I had whipped up a surprisingly delicious keto dish. But what shocked me more than the taste was how smoothly the recipe came together. From selecting the veggies to choosing the meat and even timing the cooking perfectly, I didn’t second-guess a single step. It was only after I had emptied my plate, twice, that I realized just how seamless filling my stomach had been for the first time in like forever.

Which pretty much mirrors my next experience. This one comes with it’s own story, literally. You see, I am a writer. I love good story and so I made the decision in 2023 to throw caution to the wind and become a full-time writer who makes a few pennies on the side freelancing. Another way I like to make money—or at least attempt to make money—is by entering writing competitions. I mean, what do I have to lose (except for the occasional entrance fee, of course)?

In any case, so here I was, stretched out on my sofa (I’ll get to that), scrolling through Reedsy, when boom—the craziest flash fiction competition I’ve ever seen. I’m talking 100 words max—no ifs, or buts. At once, I opened Google Keep on my phone to note down a few ideas (as I usually do). But instead of ideas, all I could focus on was the throbbing pain in my foot (the reason I was couch-bound in the first place).

Now, classic me would just lock my phone, close my eyes, and resume my desperate attempt to get some rest. After all, the deadline was late November and the stakes were $2,000 high, so why mess things up? Yet to my surprise, and horror, I’d written down a single, unfiltered line:

“My leg hurts.”

Yes, folks, the simplest, cheesiest opener ever—and that’s saying something coming from me. You could say I was possessed by the spirit of pain or just running on autopilot, but the 95 words that followed became one of the best pieces I’ve written in weeks. And when I capped the story with the title “Phantom Pain”, I found myself grinning from ear to ear like a kid in a candy store.

From my eggplant adventure to my flash fiction success, I learned something valuable: that for someone with such a restless mind as mine, I should learn to let go at times and run on autopilot mode—trusting that all those restless hours, days, months, and even years have prepared my reflexes to craft absolute masterpieces. And if it’s a bit messy? Well, it’s my mess, and there’s beauty in that.

Now, for the promised recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 medium-sized eggplant, diced
• 1 large spring onion, sliced
• 2 handfuls of greens (I used one handful of spinach and one of lettuce, sliced)
• 2 medium-sized carrots, diced
• 2 sausages, fried and diced
• 1 cup of lamb meat, roasted and sliced (feel free to use any meat you prefer)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• Soy sauce (to taste)

Instructions:

1. Prep the Eggplant: Boil the diced eggplant for 3 minutes, then drain and set aside.
2. Heat the Pan: In a large pan or wok, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
3. Sauté Aromatics: Add the sliced spring onions and minced garlic to the pan. Stir-fry for about 1 minute until fragrant.
4. Add Proteins: Toss in the diced sausages and your meat of choice. Stir-fry for another minute.
5. Flavour Boost: Drizzle soy sauce around the edges of the pan to infuse flavour.
6. Combine Veggies: Add the boiled eggplant, diced carrots, and sliced greens to the pan. Mix everything together thoroughly.
7. Stir-Fry to Perfection: Continue cooking for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender but still crisp.
8. Serve and Enjoy: Plate your stir-fry and dig in while it’s hot!

Give it a try and let me know how it turns out! Sometimes, the best recipes (and stories) come when we least expect them.