C’mon Get Happy
Folks! It’s a mad, mad world, but we have each other and our good ideas. I was feeling a bit down about the general state of the world and as I embarked on a climb out of the existential hole I found myself in, I thought of you.
How are you doing? Are we all climbing? I hope you are feeling brilliant on a beach somewhere, but in the case that you are not, and we find ourselves climbing together, here’s what I’ve come up with so far.
For one night, on Wednesday March 5th, I’ll be trading the United States of America in for the United Skates of America. Please join me for Half-price Hip Hop Night, where we will skate around in circles to the music of my youth and possibly have lefty political breakout conversations in the corner… At least that’s how my night went when I attended my youngest daughter’s Sweetheart dance a few weeks ago.
Many of you are not near enough to me to come to this event, but I encourage you to seek your people wherever is fun for you. The internet as an indicator of the outside world is failing us.
On that note, the March workshop is sold out, but April is up. Make yourself a weird sentimental outfit containing your feelings so you can wear it and feel honest and free. I was particularly moved by Aubrey Plaza’s tie dye memoriam to her late husband on SNL50. Clothes can mean a lot.
Also, it’s somebody’s birthday somewhere. Don’t miss an opportunity to honor a good person. Maybe grab a Birthday Bundle of cards to have on hand for just such an occasion. There’s also a Trying Times Bundle because, duh.
Other bits of culture that have been keeping the light inside me alive:
The staffer who was taking calls at my Congressman’s office the other day was so human. We had such an educational, freewheeling conversation. I had expected to be rushed off the phone by a robot. I recommend adding Congress’s main number to the contacts in your phone. 202-224-3121.
I saw A Complete Unknown last weekend. It was a sweet little movie that had me on the verge of good tears every time someone sang a song (which happened a lot).
New-to-me music. I’ve spent decades treading and retreading old ground but unprecedented times call for unprecedented music. My thinking is that it could lead to unprecedented thoughts and actions that will cause a breakthrough in our current time-space continuum. Like I said, I’m trying everything! Right now I’m really into the newest albums of Rose Gray, Chanel Beads, Hamilton Leithauser, and Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory. In fact, I saw Sharon play her new album at the Stone Pony and was so inspired that I scheduled an emergency hair cut to shag my hair just like hers. No regrets.
Sheila Heti had a story in The New Yorker a few weeks ago, The St. Alwynn Girls at Sea. I was moved to read parts of it aloud to my 13-year-old daughter. She was unmoved, but I know she’ll get it one day. It’s all just coats of paint.
Beyond these cultural high points, I’ve been feeling like US politicians see our citizenry only as a great buying class, a society of consumers, and not much more. So being intentional about our purchases and our boycotts may be the most effective lever we have to send real harsh feedback to those that aren’t listening to us. What do you think?
I hope you are well! Do I sound unhinged? I promise I’m not, I am just being honest.
