The Rebirth of Slick
A few days ago, while out on our morning walk, the dog found a snake coiled up beside the reeds. He put his snout within an inch of its camouflage body, oblivious, and even after I screamed at him and tugged at his leash, he did not recognize his own proximity to another living creature, how close he was to being bitten. He returned to the sidewalk to continue the stroll, glancing back at me as though I were not normal for having screamed and a fellow morning walker stopped to make sure I was ok. “I see you’re taking deep breaths and that makes me happy,” she said before ambling on further up the path.
Deep breaths. It’s something I’ve learned how to do well over the years, thanks to yoga and a wholly insufficient system of therapy, one which suggests that in the face of danger (real or remembered), the thing we need to do is return to our body. Which is what I had been trying to do in the first place by walking the dog out in the fresh morning air, having the sunlight hit my retinas first thing as my bro Dr. Huberman recommends.
It’s weird, though, this individualized approach to coping with overwhelming emotions. Just go for a walk, just take a deep breath, just don’t hate snakes.
When I got home, I googled the snake I’d just seen, trying to determine its genus to see if it was poisonous (it isn’t) and one of the first results told me that what I had just seen was a symbol of renewal, or rebirth. Snakes, it said, are often considered harbingers of death but when coiled should rather be viewed as a sign of transformation. I don’t know if I can be so esoteric as to believe that seeing a wild animal out in nature is anything more than simply intruding on them in their natural habitat but for now, I’m taking that metaphor and running with it. Because it’s been a long year and I’m ready for a restart. Which is why I’m once again back in your inboxes. I hope that’s ok. And if not, feel free to unsubscribe.
Here comes the promotional part
Before you go, though, a quick catch-up. I’ve been lax in promoting my own work but I’ve written a few things elsewhere that you might want to check out if you’re curious to know more about where my brain space has been at lately:
I started reviewing memoirs for The Washington Post, which has been a fun endeavor that’s teaching me more about style. I may be running a workshop on how to be a good reviewer soon so if that’s interesting to you, drop me a note. Or read my reviews here:
A Line in the World (Dorthe Nors)
The Swedish Art of Aging Exuberantly (Margareta Magnusson)
I Felt the End Before It Came (Daniel Allen Cox)
I also used some research insights to inform this piece about walkable neighborhoods and how rich people are taking advantage of a concept intended to enhance social equity. And I took a deep dive into the lives of American Mom influencers, who are ubiquitous on TikTok for flattening the dialogue on raising children abroad.
I have more to share, but I’ll save that for another day. Til then, friends, stay well. Deep breaths.