{"id":734,"date":"2017-11-08T07:00:50","date_gmt":"2017-11-08T07:00:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/urbanvolcano.net\/en\/?p=734"},"modified":"2025-03-30T13:17:30","modified_gmt":"2025-03-30T13:17:30","slug":"energy-transfer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/urbanvolcano.net\/en\/energy-transfer\/","title":{"rendered":"Energy transfer"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<aside class=\"other-formats\">Other formats: <a title=\"Energy transfer (PDF)\" href=\"https:\/\/urbanvolcano.net\/ebooks\/en\/pdf\/energy-transfer.pdf\">PDF<\/a> | <a title=\"Transferencia de energ\u00eda (espa\u00f1ol)\" href=\"https:\/\/urbanvolcano.net\/es\/transferencia-de-energia\/\">espa\u00f1ol<\/a> | <a title=\"Orkuskipti (\u00edslenska)\" href=\"https:\/\/urbanvolcano.net\/is\/orkuskipti\/\">\u00edslenska<\/a><\/aside>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-medium\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/urbanvolcano.net\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/W45.png?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/urbanvolcano.net\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/W45.png?resize=300%2C300&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Energy transfer \u2014 Illustration by B\u00f6rkur Sigurbj\u00f6rnsson\" class=\"wp-image-843\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/urbanvolcano.net\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/W45.png?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/urbanvolcano.net\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/W45.png?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/urbanvolcano.net\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/W45.png?resize=768%2C768&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/urbanvolcano.net\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/W45.png?resize=1024%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/urbanvolcano.net\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/W45.png?w=1025&amp;ssl=1 1025w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Illustration by B\u00f6rkur Sigurbj\u00f6rnsson<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>I walked out of the office building after a full day of meetings. I was mentally exhausted, but craving for physical activity. I needed to release some of the static energy that had been building up in my body during the day and turn it into mental energy. Rather than going directly to the nearest underground station and taking the first train home, I decided to walk to a station further downstream along the route.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As I walked through the park across the street from the office, I could feel the fresh breeze rinsing my lungs of the stale meeting-room air. I enjoyed watching the squirrels run and listening to the birds tweet. When I reached the street on the other side of the park, my shoulder muscles relaxed, I straightened my back, lifted my head and started a mindful observation of the world around me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After one sweep across my surroundings, I felt a knot in my stomach. My mind jumped to last week&#8217;s terrorist attacks. My brain started racing. Was it safe to be in the streets? Was I doing a stupid thing? Was it a folly to take such an unnecessary risk? Was I insane to deliberately expose myself to the terrorists \u2014 to their vans, knives and explosives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I felt my muscles stiffen, my heart beat faster, my breathing become shallow. I distrusted people with backpacks. I felt wary of white vans. I feared crossing the street. My mindful observation was replaced by paranoiac scrutiny. I turned around and rushed as fast as I could to the nearest underground station.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<aside class=\"wp-block-group book-ad has-text-color has-background\" style=\"color:#000000;background-color:#65aab1\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"grid-template-columns:33% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1348\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/urbanvolcano.net\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Flash_52.png?resize=1024%2C1348&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Flash 52 \u2014 Cover by Ana Pi\u00f1eyro\" class=\"wp-image-1294 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/urbanvolcano.net\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Flash_52.png?w=1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/urbanvolcano.net\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Flash_52.png?resize=228%2C300&amp;ssl=1 228w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/urbanvolcano.net\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Flash_52.png?resize=778%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 778w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/urbanvolcano.net\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Flash_52.png?resize=768%2C1011&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/urbanvolcano.net\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Flash_52.png?resize=900%2C1185&amp;ssl=1 900w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/urbanvolcano.net\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Flash_52.png?resize=500%2C658&amp;ssl=1 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Flash 52<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>This piece of flash fiction appeared in the flash fiction collection Flash 52.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you enjoyed the story, we encourage you to support the publication by buying a copy of the book. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Flash 52<\/em> is available as paperbacks from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.co.uk\/dp\/9935933741\">Amazon<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.barnesandnoble.com\/w\/flash-52-b-rkur-sigurbj-rnsson\/1127580259\">Barnes and Noble<\/a> and e-books from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.co.uk\/Flash-52-B%C3%B6rkur-Sigurbj%C3%B6rnsson-ebook\/dp\/B077SXHPPW\">Kindle Store<\/a>,  <a href=\"https:\/\/books.apple.com\/us\/book\/flash-52\/id1318217780\">Apple Books<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kobo.com\/us\/en\/ebook\/flash-52\">Kobo<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.storytel.com\/in\/books\/flash-52-2028503\">Storytel<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can also support the author through <a href=\"https:\/\/patreon.com\/UrbanVolcano\">Patreon<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/buymeacoffee.com\/borkur\">Buy Me a Coffee<\/a> or by rating the book on <a title=\"Flash fiction collection Flash 52 on Goodreads\" href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/book\/show\/36695952-flash-52\">Goodreads<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-horizontal is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-499968f5 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button has-custom-width wp-block-button__width-50\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-text-color has-background wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/urbanvolcano.net\/en\/flash-52\/\" style=\"border-radius:50px;color:#ffffff;background-color:#000000\">book details<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/aside>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A flash fiction by B\u00f6rkur Sigurbj\u00f6rnsson. An office worker gets a startling thought and suddenly starts doubting the sanity of their revitalizing stroll.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":843,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[28],"tags":[76,12,37],"class_list":["post-734","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-flash-fiction","tag-anxiety","tag-daily-commute","tag-workplace","col-md-6 col-sm-6"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/urbanvolcano.net\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/W45.png?fit=1025%2C1025&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/urbanvolcano.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/734","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/urbanvolcano.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/urbanvolcano.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/urbanvolcano.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/urbanvolcano.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=734"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/urbanvolcano.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/734\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2247,"href":"https:\/\/urbanvolcano.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/734\/revisions\/2247"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/urbanvolcano.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/843"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/urbanvolcano.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=734"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/urbanvolcano.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=734"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/urbanvolcano.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=734"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}