They may not come running to greet you when you come home from work, or curl up on your lap while you're reading - bathed in filtered sun. But one thing they have over other pets is that they feed you. They'll also happily eat your vegie scraps.
Chickens are lovely to have around.
If you're not sure, you can rent a few chickens (they come with a coop and all) for a week or two - see how it goes. Note though, that they'll likely be Bantams (which aren't classified as layers). For that, you'll need Isa Browns or Leghorns (although the latter have a reputation for being uppety).

...like: Melbourne cups (and saucers), little Logie brooches, and small business. South Melbourne's melbournestyle champions them all - stocking precious things created locally and on a small scale, both in terms of production numbers and size. As well as stocking Melbournecentric items for inside your Melbourne home or to give to a fellow Melbourne-city lover, it exhibits local artists' works.
Amble in.

The fact that we all have cameras in our phones is nothing to sniff at. It's the kind of clever technology that wowed us once upon a time...like Max Smart's shoe-phone.
The phone-camera is a spectacular tool for creating a visual diary of days. Set yourself the task of taking a photo every day. The simple act of capturing a moment makes us more conscious of our surrounds and of more moments that would otherwise have slipped invisibly away.
Transfer your pics (every week or so) to your computer, and see how the week went for you. It's pretty surprising looking back over months, a year...

Need further inspiration? Look at what this guy sees every day.