I've Found My People
Who knew Ukrainians were such badasses?
Grandmothers handing out sunflower seeds to soldiers so flowers will grow when they die on Ukrainian land. Looters getting taped to telephone poles. Female members of Parliament learning to shoot Kalashnikovs. I had no idea that Ukrainians were my kind of people but here I am, trying to figure out how to apply for dual citizenship.
This week, when I wasn’t glued to the news and @kyivindependent, I was trying to get back to my calm, unbusy self. I do not believe in busy. I think we stay busy because we a) are bad at time management, b) it makes us feel important, c) don’t trust other people enough to delegate, d) say yes to too many things. I literally cannot with any of that. I believe in taking at least one month off a year, always having my next vacation on deck, and having plenty of time for long walks on the beach and true crime documentaries. The past few months have been pretty brutal- all good things, all lucky things, but very little time to breathe or beach. But now the new staff is on board and the first half of my book is done and life is calming down a bit and I can finally breathe and catch up on my reading and watching and listening and planning. And finishing that second half… It’s nice, but also necessary.
When i think about everything I want to do for the next 32 years (at 70 I’m becoming a National Park Ranger at Denali and staying in Alaska until I die so I only have 32 years left to worry about) I want to work a lot because I really really love working. I really do. I always have. It’s very un-millennial of me but what can I say. But I also want to travel a lot and work out a lot and hike a lot and take lots of photographs and build lots of motorcycles and maybe eventually be somewhat decent at riding them. What I don’t want is to be busy. I don’t like feeling chaotic or like I’m a slave to my calendar or like I don’t have time to just sit on the couch and watch a few episodes of Cowboy Bebop, the old or the new or maybe a comparison of episodes. I like feeling leisurely and at peace and to do that I need lots of blank spots on iCal and plenty of time to slowly make my way to the kitchen and stare in the fridge for a while before I inevitably pick out a piece of cheese.
This is not for everyone. But it is for me. So in my busy times I know I need to prioritize making the changes I need to make to get back to peace. If you have any advice about ways that you get back to peace, let me know. I’m always adding things to my list.
Watch:
The Good Lord Bird (Showtime)- First, read the book. By James McBride. And also everything else he has ever written. Then, watch Ethan Hawke play John Brown in this excellent show.
Love is Blind Japan (Flix)- It is sooooo interesting watching how Japanese couples operate on this show vs Americans. You will not be able to turn it off.
Nightmare Alley (HBOMax and weirdly also Hulu)- Bradley Cooper is having a moment and I’m so proud of the little guy. He was always just the Hangover guy to me, but now he’s all serious and talented and moody. It’s great. Nightmare Alley is great. Cate Blanchett is great. Willem Dafoe is great. Guillermo del Toro is great. Everyone is great. Watch it, love it, watch it again in black and white.
THIS AWESOME SHORT VID ABOUT AN ABSOLUTE ICON.
Listen:
In Strange Woods/The Ballad of Anne and Mary (podcasts)- If you like musical podcasts, you’re in luck. A lot of theatre performers were really bored during COVID and now here we are. So far, these two are the best I’ve found. If you have others, please send.
Mission to Zyxx (podcast)- This improvised space comedy podcast is in its last season so now is the time for a hilarious binge with a cast of characters you will fall in love with. I’ve been listening to Zyxx since they first stated and as soon as season five is over I will be going back to the beginning and listening all over again. It’s that good.
Sparks (A Band of Brothers)- I just watched The Sparks Brothers documentary (ok, the first half, it’s really long) and I would be embarrassed to say that I am not cool enough to have heard of them before but no one reading this newsletter is under the impression that I am cool. But now I’m on to them and they’re great and you should give them some streams.
Read:
The Good Lord Bird by James McBride- I know I put it up there but here it is again.
Whalebone- This is a super fun magazine. I am subscribed to what some might say is too many magazines but what I say is just 2 or 3 below an ideal amount. Whalebone is independent and different and fun and I recommend going for it.
Off The Edge by Kelly Weill- A new book about Flat Earthers!! I obviously pre-ordered it. Let’s have a Flat Earth book club!