Perspective (How's The Water?)

I'm not a podcast person. (Still working on it, though.) Instead, when the mood hits, I like re-listening to favorite speeches, interviews, movie clips, and whatever other tiny soundbite that got stashed away in my mental rolodex because it once struck a chord.

This Is Water, by David Foster Wallace, is one such thing. From the outset, it's just a commencement address he made in 2005 for a group of college grads. Pay an ounce more attention, you'll quickly feel how his message means so much more.

Like a lot of Wallace's other work, the speech is epically long and densely wordy. When you have twenty-three minutes -- yes, 23! -- to spare, listen to the audio below. (Or read the full transcript.)

I turn to this speech when I need reminding that SO MUCH of what is good in life comes down to your perception of the world around you. No, having an upbeat attitude won't pardon your credit card debt, nor will it cure disease. (Unfortunately.) It's more like: Challenge your prejudices and tired knee-jerk reactions, be considerate and open-minded -- in doing so, you are showing yourself love, and putting your soul at ease.

I mean, I think what he's trying to say. ;)

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Watching 'Framing Britney Spears'

Framing Britney Spears is finally available to stream in Canada today (on Crave) and I'm so anxious to see it. Until recently, I had no idea her father still held a morally-questionable conservatorship over her entire life -- the shadiness of which is explored in the documentary.

Throughout the mid- to late-aughts, I voraciously consumed celebrity gossip. (dlisted was my favorite fix but, honestly any rag would do the trick.) You might remember Britney Spears was going through a really, REALLY rough patch around that time. Looking back, I'm ashamed of how gleefully I soaked up news of her very public troubles. Almost daily, media outlets relentlessly exploited some "new low" of hers -- I was too entertained by the cruel spectacle to comprehend that an actual, flesh-and-blood person was in mental distress. Instead, I witnessed someone spiral into crisis (practically in real-time) and considered it mere entertainment.

I could blame my callousness on being a young person with zero real-life experience. The truth? I was an ignorant jerk who should have known better.

Anyway. Apparently, the doc pulls the curtain back to expose injustices Britney Spears has endured in the last decade-plus. Here's hoping all this renewed attention will benefit her legal battles and, ultimately, help her regain autonomy. I'm planning to watch it tonight. Do you have any interest?

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Book Club: The House We Grew Up In

Trigger warning: The House We Grew Up In contains episodes of hoarding, suicide, and sexual abuse.

Looking back on my reading list from 2020, it seems I've unintentionally (yet almost exclusively) chosen books centred around specific tropes: Coming-of-age stories; Loads of characters with intertwining storylines; Travelling back-and-forth through the timeline; A hint of darkness looming over the plot.

The House We Grew Up In, by Lisa Jewell, falls neatly into place with the other books I've read this past year. Spanning decades and generations, the story follows The Birds as they navigate through tragedy and adversity. Individual family members struggle to reconcile their own identity with an allegiance to their relatives. (Or, in some cases, those bridges are actively being obliterated.) Crucial details are revealed slowly, almost piecemeal throughout the novel, gradually revealing the true driving forces behind characters, thereby helping unpack the rather intricate novel. Personally, I loved how you only get to unlock the big picture one key at a time, pretty much until the final pages -- it kept me burning through chapters and repeatedly renewing my interest in the saga.

TBH, you might not find any character particularly likeable (I didn't) but you will definitely pick sides in their family politics. I think The House We Grew Up In is excellent for a rainy -- or, dare I say, SNOWY -- weekend bookworm-ing at home. The story is stuffed with emotion, the plot twists will have you reeling, but things somehow avoid getting so heavy that reading become a burdensome drag. If you ever give it a chance, let me know what you think!

And shout-out to my pal, Erika, for lending me her copy of the book (along with a rave review) :)

Image credit: Carousell

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6 Simple Things To Do Instead Of Doom-Scrolling

To anyone who would like a few moments of levity this evening, I fully endorse these low-key ideas.

1. Follow Elsa Majimbo and Jordan Firstman on Instagram. Proceed to binge-watch all their videos. 

2. Eat a ton of Coaticook ice cream -- I'm partial to caramel swirl and double blueberry, but they have at least a dozen other flavors, so you do you.

3. The weather is so warm tonight! Take a Spotify-soundtracked walk around your neighborhood. (I've had this Billie Eilish playlist on repeat for days, and these recent Obama picks are obviously solid.)

4. Do the laundry, wash the dishes. Seriously! Waking up to a tidy home on Saturday morning is a freakin' delightful feeling. Similarly: Double-check you have enough coffee on-hand for tomorrow's first cup.

5. Make your favorite recipe. I'm sooo close to baking these trusty sugar cookies.

6. Call (or video chat with) someone you love. Bonus points for having drinks together :)

And, if nothing else, just put the phone down for a minute, conjure a favorite memory, and remind yourself to breathe. 

Have an excellent Friday night!

Image credit: Glamour

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