Dealing with freakout | LISB
Hey y’all,
It’s been a particularly busy fall for us so far. Between vacation, out-of-town funerals, work trips out of town, and our 15th wedding anniversary, I have not had a weekend at home in six weeks. I’m whipped, y’all. I’m behind on so many things, and I need to cut my grass soon, before a small child gets lost in it.
I have a question for you - especially my US-based readers: How are you guys doing? The election is next week, and I have never remembered one that was this contentious, this blatant, this “in your face”. And let’s be honest - no matter who wins, it’s going to be ugly. If the Democrats win, he is going to contest it, and there is every reason to believe there will be state-level certification issues and probably chaos from his supporters. And if he wins, then…
Well, whoever wins, it’s going to be ugly.
All the anxiety dramatically affects my energy levels. In nearly 10 years, I have only seriously considered giving this email project up once, and that was in the days right after the 2016 election, when I was most dispirited. It was then I learned how many other folks counted this little letter as part of their own self-care routine. So bear with me if my publishing schedule gets erratic - I’m not going anywhere.
I am walking a thin line between working to change the things I cannot accept and accepting the things I cannot change. Much like the night before a big exam in school, at this point, things are in motion. Early voting has started. The registration deadline has passed for every state. Other than working voter turnout, the work that can be done has been done. And now we wait.
If, like me, you have some degree of anxiety in spite of the previous paragraph, here are some things I have found that help:
Get all the sleep you can. Find distractions - I’m spending a lot of evenings in my workshop, teaching myself new skills. Laugh when you can. Google image search “Baby sloths”. Treat yourself to a good meal. Limit your time on social media. Try reading the news via the “text only version”. Go for walks. Narrow your focus - perhaps you can do nothing at this point for your country, but you can pick up the trash on your street, or volunteer at the school in your neighborhood.
Take care of yourselves, friends. Whoever wins, they will hardly be the harbingers of utopia. Social change is always a long game, and there is so much work to be done, and we need you in the fight.
(Just as I was about to hit send on this email, I came across this lovely and helpful piece from Oliver Burkemen, called How not to freak out about the US election.)
Five Beautiful Things
The “Park of Monsters” in Italy looks amazing. Linking to their Instagram because it has better pictures than the website.
I love any sort of chain reaction device (think of the game “Mousetrap” for US readers) and searching for them on YouTube is a constant diversion for me. Here are three marble runs that are ingenious in their complexity. (via The Kid Should See This)
The poems, ideas, stories that come to you in the nighttime - where do they go?
Any day there are new images from the James Webb Space Telescope is a good day. These are just stunning.
The Wildlife Photographer of the Year awards are up, and well worth your time to click through.
In case you missed it
In the last issue, the most clicked link was this good boy singing his people awake.
Over on my blog, I continued to tell stories from my early days of working with unhoused folks. In this story, I tell about how I came to define security differently. This is the best received of these stories I have written yet, so I hope you enjoy it.
Members Only
Paying members get, among other occasional goodies, a weekly essay in their inbox. Their support keeps this newsletter both free and ad-free for everyone else. Here are the ones I have published since the last LISB issue.
The split: Things change. Sometimes, they change irrevocably.
The house where they lived: He didn’t just die there - they lived there.
Much to learn: Maybe my elders didn’t know everything after all?
Thank you!
I never take your readership for granted. That you allow me in your inbox, week after week, is one of the privileges of my life.
If you want to support this work, you can become a member, forward this to a friend, or buy me a cup of coffee. However you do it, thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Take care,
HH
-- -
Hugh L. Hollowell Jr
(he/him)
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