New hobby, new metaphor
She’s 40 years old, sometimes 50. And she’s exhausted. After spending the best years of her life quietly serving other people, she was dumped for a cheaper, flashier, “pick me” type.
It wasn’t that long ago that everyone seemed to want her. “Look at her,” they’d say, admiring her skin in the natural light. “God, she’s gorgeous.”
Because she worked so hard, she was taken for granted. Neglected. And then, once all the new girls covered in logos showed up, tossed aside and ignored.
But then something surprising happened. Now that she’s reached a certain age, people think she’s special again. Not in spite of her scars, but because of them. Once she gets a day at the spa — a bath, a massage, a shit ton of moisturizer — she’s ready to work again. And be appreciated for her inherent beauty and lived experience.
She is a middle-aged woman.
She is a vintage Coach purse.1
Links
I’m hearing from people who work for the government that there may be new bots/AI tools spying on work computers, presumably looking for words like “diversity” or “empathy.” Here are a few things you can look for. (WaPo)
A useful video about what to say when you call your congressperson or senator. (TikTok)
A behind-the-scenes look at what went into the amazing Super Bowl halftime show. (Wired)
Science: Ozempic helps people fight urge to drink alcohol. (AP News)
An online database of unsent text messages to first loves. (The Unsent Project)
A site that lets you virtually drive or walk through most major cities. (CitiWalki)
NSFW: A site is collecting people swearing on Bluesky and serving it to you in a British accent. (Boing Boing)
Pixies on a cello. (TikTok)
We get several a week in A Wider Circle donation bags. After I clean them up, I take them back to AWC and it’s incredibly gratifying to see how fast they’re snatched up by clients. ↩