Naushad Parpia: How daily habits can make our lives memorable

Quick information: Naushad Parpia is a fiction writer and a storyteller. He is based in Brooklyn, New York. He writes about the streets and subway rides he takes there. He also writes about small things we keep with us for no reason. His stories explain how every little thing can be related to and memorable to us. People like to listen to him because of his thoughtful voice with a quiet little humour.

Introduction

Think about your best day this year. Most people have to stop and search for it. Now think about the smell of your grandmother’s kitchen. That one shows up before you even try. Naushad Parpia keeps coming back to this in his writing. We tend to call only the big days "memorable", like birthdays, trips, and weddings. Those get photos and plans. But most of life happens in the gaps, in small things we repeat and hardly notice. He thinks that’s where the deepest memories come from. In this post, we’ll look at how daily habits shape what stays with us and how the little things around us end up being the reason we remember.

How Ordinary Days Matter

If someone asks you to tell about a memory, big days will get all the credit. It could be a trip or a wedding. Yet if you add up a year, they take up only a few days. Every day is normal, and we have the same routine. You get up and make tea for yourself to go to work and come home tired. That is worth thinking about those plain days. Because those plain days are most of the life we actually live. Call them empty, and you’ve written off nearly all of it. Think back to being ten. A party from that year is probably gone from your head. But some of the things you can still remember clearly and never forget. 

The Little Things Naushad Notices

Walk down any street, and most of us look at our phones. He looks at the shop signs. The paint is peeling, but the owner never fixed it. He notices a recipe card with grease spots on the corner. Or the one seat on the train that stays empty, even when people are standing. A chipped cup does it too. So does a line a grandparent says at every single dinner. He never explains why. He tells you what he saw and throws in a small joke, and that’s it. But then you catch yourself thinking about your own stuff. That coat you should have thrown out years ago. The odd thing your mum says before every meal. Funny how much sits inside things like that.

Slow Your Speed to Explore

A busy month can feel like it never happened, and there is a reason for that. If every day looks the same, the brain doesn’t bother to keep much of it. Last Monday and this Monday blur into one. But a single slow afternoon? That can stay with you for years. You don’t need to change your whole week to fix it. Give one short trip in ten more minutes. Stay at the table a bit longer after dinner. Take the stairs and look at what’s on the way up. Anything that breaks the usual pattern gives your brain something new to hold on to. And exploring doesn’t mean going somewhere far. It just means looking at the place you’re already in, slowly enough to see it.

Six Easy Habits You Should Also Try

You don’t really need to plan something big to try these habits. 

• Write one thing from your day in a notebook before you sleep. Even if you write two words, that's also okay. 

• Eat one meal without the TV on. Just look at who is at the table.

• Take a photo of something boring, like your tea or the slippers by the door. A year later it will feel strange and nice.

• Call your mum, your friend, anyone. Ask what they ate. That’s it.

• Go to your regular park at a time you never go. Early morning looks like a different place.

• Keep a ticket or a note from someone in a small box. Open it when you’ve forgotten about it.

Try one habit for a week before adding another. Small steps last longer than big plans.

Streets That Know You

Each street has its story. Streets where we grow up and streets we cross every day for office or school. You know which patch of road is broken. You know where the wind is strongest and which house smells of fried onions around six. Nobody taught you any of it. You just walked the same way, day after day. That is how a street gets to know you. Each extra step adds some details, and slowly that place became a part of your life. And when you move away from the city, those streets you go on every day, those little things are what you miss. So share the stories of your street with people close to you. Tell them where you played and who lived in which house. Once nobody tells them, they are gone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Naushad Parpia?
He is a fictional writer and storyteller who explores memory and place.

Can daily habits really create memories?
Yes, repeated moments can build strong emotional ties.

Do I need big events to have memorable moments?
No, simple everyday moments can also stay with us the longest.

How can I make a normal day feel more special?

You can make your day feel special by changing your daily routine. 

Final Verdict

The point about Naushad Parpia is that he doesn’t write about big moments. He cares about the stuff we hardly notice, like where we buy our bread, what a parent used to say when annoyed, or the way we walk home. After reading his work, you start to see that memories don’t wait for special days. They pile up quietly while we’re busy with ordinary things. It’s a light, kind read. If your days have started to feel all the same, it might make you look at them again.