Hello, and happy new year!
It seems like ages since I’ve written to you, but it was really just a few days ago.
I’ve survived another week of the What Day Is It? game show, with categories like “is it garbage day?” and “it feels like Monday but it’s Thursday and I only have to work two days but it still sucks.” Working five days in a row next week is going to really suck. Sigh.
How are you doing?
The world is about to go up in flames, but today, close to home I’m doing well.
Nolan has been visiting and sharing the stories and photos from his trip to South America. It’s too bad more people don’t travel to foreign countries, to discover the wonders of the world. I’ve barely traveled beyond the borders of the U.S., with a few trips to Canada and two traipses on foot across the border into Mexico from Arizona.
Yet somehow, I manage to open my heart to the people of the world and want nothing more than a good life for them too. Perhaps it’s because I’ve read a lot of fiction over the course of my life.
We walked down to Bar Z for a drink and lunch this afternoon. A football game was on, and our conversation came around to the topic of tribalism. Michael told us stories of football (soccer) hooligans who had been banned from matches that latched on to bands instead. The band from Leeds he was in at the time (The Wedding Present) played with a band from Manchester (James), and the thugs would come out to fight with each other since they weren’t allowed at the football matches.
Ridiculous.
So, if you can’t travel the world, what can you do to gain empathy with the mass of humanity around you?
Walk.
Flaneur.
Ramble.
Observe.
Pay attention to the world around you, whether it be in the city or out in nature.
Be cognizant of your privilege while you stroll about - are you welcomed where you are? Do you feel safe? Does anybody question your right to be there?
As a white female, nobody questions my right to be where I am when I wander about through town. I do take precautions, even when I’m with my large black dog. For example, I never wear headphones when I go walking. I love to hear the sounds of my surroundings, but I also want to be fully aware. I don’t walk down alleys when it’s dark, and I only walk by myself when it’s light. It may seem like nothing, but I am constantly aware of the fact I am a female by myself when I go out.
I look at the world, and some of it makes me uncomfortable. I see the signs of people without homes every day. I don’t understand how our supposedly wealthy society can allow people to live this way.
I see things that are amusing, yet I know there’s a story behind every image I take.
My tribe is humanity.
I want to know and understand as many members of my tribe as I can. I may not be able to help everyone, but seeing and knowing builds empathy. Empathy builds a better world, or at least the possibility for a better world.
Nolan has made it a priority in his life to travel and explore the world. His focus is botany, but along the way he experiences the world on its own terms. He has to adjust his mindset to get along wherever he may be. Most of us rarely find ourselves in a situation where we are the ones forced to adjust.
It would do us all good to step out of our skin now and then and view the world from a different angle. Whether we wander the city we live in, or take a stroll through nature. I recommend a mix of both, if you can. If you’re unable to walk well, go sit somewhere different and watch the world go by for a while.
Both Nolan and I have an affinity for tiny things. His eyes are better than mine, or maybe he stops and takes his time to let the details of his surroundings emerge.
We can all cheer for this spider taking down a mosquito.
And look at this amazing embroidered detail…
Or not. It’s an eye spot on a moth’s wing.
No matter where you find yourself, allow yourself a minute or more to stop and take in your surroundings. Look at the big picture, and the tiny details. It’s a beautiful world out there, if you let it.
…
Go forth and make the world a better place.
~Anne
Tidbits
Letters from an American - if you haven’t subscribed to Heather Cox Richardson’s daily updates about the U.S. political situation, I urge you to do so. She posts on FB, but mentions her posts are getting overrun by bots and trolls. Bot-free reading daily in your inbox is much preferable!
How to spot a bot (or not) - tips for identifying fake accounts online
Banished Words for 2020 - words and phrases we’d love never to hear again
Nicholson’s Peerless Watercolors - portable watercolor sheets in lovely colors! Need a specific color? Individual sheets are available, as well as full sets. Big claim: no murky mess when mixing colors.
Happy Public Domain Day! Works from 1924 added this year include When We Were Very Young by A.A. Milne and George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue.
Making: I finished out my #carvedecember with a nice set of stamps. Taking a small break for a few days, but the nature journaling class will be my focus next.
Recently eaten: we tried a new to us Chinese restaurant last night with Nolan - Tang Wong. It was a step up from the other place we’ve been eating, but I think 2020 will be the year of searching out the best Chinese restaurant. Stay tuned.
Reading: so much! I’m off to a good start for 2020. I’ve set a goal of 60 books and have already read 10% of my goal!
Not a bad one in the bunch! The Invisible Empire was a fascinating bit of history about the fight against the KKK that I wouldn’t have known about otherwise.
Video of the Week
Here’s a clip from the 1945 Gershwin biopic Rhapsody in Blue. Enjoy!
Question of the Week
If you feel like answering the question (or to just say hello), hit reply to this email. Answers will be shared next week - always anonymous. Don’t be shy!
Nolan asks this week…
What is your favorite organism?
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Last week I asked what you’d like to do more and less of in 2020.
Yoga,
Meditate,
Read &
Write - MORE
Is it surprising that I want to disengage with social media? I'm on twitter because I'm not on FB, and I have always been someone who wants to know what's going on. Only...I don't think I'm any closer to knowing what's happening and more likely filling my head with noise. Related, of course, is that I want to make more art in the relative vacuum of my studio, without thinking about what's going on outside. If I engage with people and art, I'm going to do it in person.
I used to do it, and I want to believe I can do it again. Maybe I'll have so little noise I can even consider writing again, something I used to do professionally once upon a time?
In 2020 I'm going to pay more attention to making better habits (that take into account that on some days I will be sleep deprived and/or low-energy) and less attention to thinking about work when I'm not at work!
More - reading, art, music, walking, socializing
Less - screen time
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