Anti-Social Media
Something good, every day.
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:
Consistency
O, swear not by the moon, th’ inconstant moon,
William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet
That monthly changes in her circle orb,
Lest that thy love prove likewise variable.
Like the moon, I am inconstant.
I like to think that I’m pretty good at doing what I say I will do, being where I say I will be at the time I say I will be there. I am generally true to my word and honour my commitments.
I’ve learned to do this by only committing to what I am confident I will pursue/achieve.
But I feel like I am not always able to consistently show up for myself. It can be difficult to always do the things I decided I would do, make the changes I think I want to make. Is it because I am only accountable to myself? Or that I expect too much?
I do think I am getting better at this. My method is to be more specific in defining what I want and how I plan to do it.
Mindfulness and self-reflection are amazing tools. But it’s still difficult work.
Smoky Bananas
Our wood stove is not playing nice. The pipe is clogged and it’s not drawing properly. Landlords have been notified and it will probably get cleaned out early next week.
The weather has improved today and it’s back above zero, but yesterday it was bloody cold so we did our best to have a fire, unfortunately it left the house rather smoky.
I made banana muffins this morning. Partly because, well, who doesn’t want yummy muffins, but also to try to cover up the smoky stench in the house. I thought it worked, but I just got home from a walk and it just smells like smoky bananas!
🔥🍌