[Seth Says] I Also Hate It
So yeah, here we are, this is the world and this is the country. Not great, Bob. But also, I'm sure you, like me, have already read/watched/eaten far too much about the new regime over the past two weeks and I'm not going to spend a whole newsletter talking about it, so for all of our mental health, I'll just share two things I wrote on the topic and then I'll talk about something else.
THING ONE
My latest column offers some (sarcastic) praise for the new regime, and I will blame absolutely no one for skipping it from oversaturation, but if you care to read it, here it is:
It's Mourning Again in America
THING TWO
Sadly I'm realizing (how sad, my brain still functions and had a realization. we'll soon put a stop to that; time to watch mindless crap on Netflix!)(also, I've never heard anything described as "mindful crap")(although I feel like there's an argument to be made for Deepak Chopra)(also also, with that name he could 100% be a Star Wars character) that the poem I wanted to share with you was never published to be conveniently linked, and it feels too long to paste the whole thing into a newsletter, and reading it over it was meant to be spoken word and it's too depressing anyway.
So instead, I'll just share these three lines from the poem I wrote a half-dozen years ago that still seem like good advice today:
Spend some time outside with someone whose company you enjoy,
Appreciate the majesty of nature together,
And appreciate the nature of Together's majesty.
HEDONISM ON A BUDGET
I remain in admiration of my many friends who continue putting in the effort to make the world a better place on a regular basis. I do this only on a very irregular basis, and more often just devote myself to hedonism, because my friends are mostly better people than I am. (as they say, if you can't be a better person, at least try to be funny) (good general advice when uncharitable thoughts come to mind).
But regardless of your personal level of world-betterment, I definitely recommend hedonism as a way to recharge and take care of yourself so you can be properly rested and in a good head-space for existing in the world, interacting with other humans, and occasional world embetterment. I should be clear that I primarily mean hedonism in the mold of Epicurus, which is less about drug-fueled orgies and rock and roll banquets, but rather more about a tranquil and peaceful life spending time with friends and avoiding pain where possible.
That said, I am certainly not above hedonism classic (with the cool bottle shape), and sometimes the id does need to be fed, and I like food. I am, let's say, not known for my extravagant spending habits. ("Now let's say a new merchant moves into town...") But I certainly have my indulgences, one being a weekly takeout meal with my partner, and lately, also orders of tasty snacks from our favorite mail-order Asian food website (ask me if you want a referral code!). We briefly considered the idea of austerity measures because neither of those things are "necessary", but also removing all the tiny joys from your life is bad actually, and since we are privileged enough to afford it, we shall continue to have our little treats.
Obviously you don't want to be spending beyond your means, or buying too many daily "little treats" that add up to an obscene amount ("fifty-fucking-thousand dollars")(or, alternately, $69,420), but I maintain that good food in good company is one of the best possible indulgences (way better than the papal ones), and...
SALAD DAYS
...sorry, I lost my train of thought, because I had to get up mid-sentence to fix a late-night salad after all that food talk made me hungry. ("Vinaigrettes, I've had a few...")
I think that's what I wanted to say anyway. Lettuce not spend all our time reading things that make us unhappy, as that does more parm than good. Leaf that behind and if you cashewself feeling overwhelmed to the point where you cranberry stand it, try to be more Epicurean.
No point continuing this newsletter once I've punned every ingredient in the salad I've just finished, so I'll thank you for reading, will be back in two weeks with another column, and encourage you to get yourself a little treat this week -- you deserve it.
About To Go Grab Some Just Desserts,
Seth