Anti-Social Media
Something good, every day.
A hard COVID Christmas
I wanted to make another ukulele Christmas song video this year, but with the pandemic, it’s been really hard to find any holiday spirit.
I remembered the Dolly Parton song “Hard Candy Christmas” from the musical The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (which I performed in at Walterdale Theare in 2010) and I thought I could learn that to record. A little more sombre, although still hopeful. Perfect for the times.
But then I got inspired. Why not make those simple rhyming lyrics a little more personal and really embrace the full pandemic holiday experience?
Hard COVID Christmas
(alternate lyrics by Marsha Amanova)
Hey, maybe I’ll knit a sock
Maybe I’ll take a walk
Maybe I’ll meditate
Maybe we’ll stay up late bingeing TV
Me and Aldon Bee
Maybe I’ll try to read
Maybe we’ll smoke some weed
Maybe I’ll make some tea
Maybe we’ll role play D&D online
We will be just
Fine and dandy
Lord this is a hard COVID Christmas
I’m barely getting through tomorrow
But still I won’t let
Sorrow bring me way down
I’ll be fine and dandy
Lord this is a hard COVID Christmas
I’m barely getting through tomorrow
But still I won’t let
Sorrow bring me way down
Hey, maybe I’ll bake some bread
Maybe I’ll shave my head
Maybe I’ll write a poem
Maybe I’ll stay at home and sing this song
Me, I’ll carry on
Maybe I’ll get on zoom
Maybe I’ll scroll some doom
Maybe I’ll play guitar
Maybe I’ll be a star in my own mind
Me, I’ll be just
Fine and dandy
Lord this is a hard COVID Christmas
I’m barely getting through tomorrow
But still I won’t let
Sorrow bring me way down
I’ll be fine and dandy
Lord this is a hard COVID Christmas
I’m barely getting through tomorrow
But still I won’t let
Sorrow bring me way down
‘Cause I’ll be fine
I’ll be fine
I’ll have a glass of wine
And I’ll be fine
Fridge Magnet Poetry
I may not participate in most of the so-called social mediums, but that doesn’t meant that I don’t spend time doing silly things online.
One of my recent faves is https://frij.io/
Each day a new set of words is presented, displayed as a virtual fridge magnet poetry set. You drag and drop a set number of words and then post it to the public board. You can scroll through what others have posted and vote for your favourites.
I think what I enjoy so much about it is that it is a creative exercise with a specific task and built-in restrictions. The objective is simple: create a short collection of words from this word list.
So, maybe I could make this work for me in a broader sense. Could I set up other practices or exercises with specific guidelines?
I find it difficult to write every day when I’m not sure what to write about. Writing prompts might work. Something to consider, certainly.
Write More
All signs are pointing me to: write more. Focus on quantity. Show up. Show up even when weary, lost, confused and fearful. But show up and write. Something, anything.
Don’t stop making an effort towards quality, but get over it. There’s no judge here except the one in my head. I want to get out of my own way, stop holding myself back and ignore this fear I feel that I know isn’t real.
Thank you AK & SG for the (latest) kick in the pants.
Don’t worry about the best method, layout or location. Just start right now, and then do it again. Keep going. Stop thinking about it and get it out. I know I won’t get better unless I practice (and the opposite is also true: I will get better with practice), and I know I can’t overcome the resistance by thinking about it. Action is the answer. I don’t know a lot, but I know this. So, I must start putting myself on the hook and stop accepting the excuses.
Ugh, so much self talk and encouragement seems to be required to get me here, but here I am. Again.
That Dandy Little Lion
This is our second spring in our little rental house in Sackville, NB.
And I recall witnessing and being delighted by the same dandelion last year.
This intrepid little fucker has pushed out the side of our driveway by the chimney. Delightful.
My Birthday 2020
Yesterday was my birthday!
I’m not one for parties or big celebrations anyway, but it was an extra-quiet birthday this year with everyone self-isolating and social distancing…
My love was off work for the day so we took a drive up to the Northumberland Strait (still mostly frozen) to Cape Jourimain so I could launch my little cloud kite for the first time.
I received this beautiful and functional handmade work of art near Christmas, but struggled to get the motivation to try it out over the winter.
When I discovered that the first day of spring would fall on my birthday this year, I decided this was the perfect opportunity to try something new.
The day dawned with no wind (pretty unusual around these parts), but there was a bit of a breeze when we set out and I felt optimistic that there would be enough, and it was.
What a joy!
I look forward to taking this beauty out for many more flights this spring and summer. Kite flying just might be the perfect antidote to feeling cooped up and isolated.
I don’t know what to say
I’m trying not to let the anxiety take over. Like many people (most?) I’m not really sure what to do. So, I’m doing what I can and staying home. As I’ve said jokingly to my friends, self-isolation and social distancing are totally in my wheelhouse!
I don’t feel like I have much of my own to add to the larger conversations happening all around me right now, but I do think that it could be useful to share some things that I have found valuable.
Click to read: Fear can be useful
Mark Manson’s Motherf*cking Monday email newsletter is generally pretty awesome. This week’s message was compelling, and he linked to a couple of excellent articles as well.
Click to read: Thoughts on Coronavirus
I don’t know who this Bobby Hundreds guy is, but he’s got some good thoughts and has put them into some good words. This article was linked from another newsletter I subscribe to, and the author went so far as to say “If they write a book about this time in history, what you’re about to read will be the foreword.” I’m not sure I’m willing to take such a stance (there are many artists out there, putting beautiful thoughts into beautiful words and sharing them), but it’s well worth a few minutes of your time.
My parents, who are wintering in Brownsville, Texas, are packing up and driving home this week. I’m relieved. They’ve been down there since January, and were supposed to stay another month, but…
Even though I won’t be able to get together with (or hug!) them for a couple of weeks after their return, I’ll be very glad to know they are back home.
It’s time to slow down, take measure and figure out what is truly important to you.
If you can, please stay home. If you can’t stay home, keep your distance from others. Not for your sake or for theirs, but for everyone’s.
While physical distance is necessary, emotional distance is not. It’s needed more than ever. Be kind. Be patient. Reach out. We have so many tools to stay connected. Find new and interesting ways to use them. Do what you can.
Love.
Self-Isolate
Hello, March. I’m well.
I failed at posting every day in February, but I learned a lot from trying. Now to see if I can implement that learning!
In the meantime, I freaking love this:
