joy: week 26
music and hockey got me through a rough week
This wasn’t a great week for finding joy. There’s too much depressing, frightening, maddening stuff going on in the world and sometimes I let this consume me. Nevertheless, life over here moves on even though time has all but stopped for others. Such is the nature of things.
Sometimes joy comes by way of the mail. I totally forgot I ordered this so when it arrived it was like a little gift my stoned self sent to my sober self, and I appreciate that. I put this on as soon as I opened it and the sounds that filled my living room brought me an immense amount of joy. I smiled through the whole thing, and the shape of the record absolutely delights me. It may be a Halloween record, but it’s one I will play all year long whenever I need a dose of happiness.
Also in the mail this week, a new book from Bill Watterson of Calvin and Hobbes fame. He partnered with artist John Kascht to bring us this fable for adults. Haunting illustrations, mysterious prose, and an overall sense of dread are woven through this book, which took me all of ten minutes to read. I’ve been turning it over in my head for days now, trying to figure out what I read and what it means. For a short book, it sure packs a lot in. I am thrilled to have something new from Watterson in my hands. I just might pull out my Calvin and Hobbes anthologies today. Talk about joy.
I was introduced to Pacing (Katie McTigue) very recently. They put out an album this past Friday and I’ve been listening to it ever since. Sometimes it takes me a while to get into a new album, maybe four or five listens, but I fell in love with this one immediately. Katie’s voice speaks of comfort; I felt embraced by the music on first listen. The more I listened, the more powerful and profound it became to me. It’s not just the gorgeous melodies or the emotional lyrics. It’s the way it all comes together. Real Poetry… will end up in my top five this year. It’s just an incredible piece of work.
Hockey is back! My baseball season ended unceremoniously and way before I wanted it to end. And while I am having fun rooting for the Phillies, I have moved full force into hockey season, pinning all my hopes and happiness on a what appears to be a mediocre team. But I don’t care. The Islanders are my team and I love them unconditionally. I have no reason to expect great things of them this year, but I feel like great things are coming. Last night’s 1-0 season opener is a step in the right direction. I am just so thrilled to have hockey back in my life. Not only does it fill the baseball void, but watching hockey improves my mental health by a lot. Let’s go Islanders!
There were other little pieces of joy during the week. Kitten antics, a good haircut, completing a task I had put off, and just the general joy of being retired, of waking up on a stormy morning and remembering that I don’t have to go to work.
I know things are a mess right now, but please try to find joys, and share them with others. Be kind to each other, be fierce and righteous in the fight for human dignity, and take care of yourselves.