May We Continue Trying Things
SCRIPT:
Welcome back to the Mixed Media with Mikkel YouTube channel, which right now vaguely resembles a cooking blog given that I’m dedicating this week’s newsletter to making a mocktail.
And yes, I did put on a button up shirt to record this episode. We love a bit. We love the dedication to a bit.
As it turns out, I like the idea of going outside my wheelhouse at least once a month, so trying to make a video (or a video script as the case may be for some of my audience) regularly seems like a decent idea. And next month, I may even try to use the camcorder I got recently, but to the topic at hand.
Today, we are making a Tilden mocktail. This was either a really late Christmas gift or a really early birthday present from my manager who graciously has me over every so often and since I both am diabetic and generally dislike alcohol she accommodated me with particular drink consisting of 2 ounces of Tilden (a fresh cucumber & lychee with herbaceous basil & juniper berry), ¾ ounces of simple syrup, and 5 ounces of Fevertree tonic water.
Now unfortunately, my only measuring glass is in increments of 2 ounces, the tonic water is 7.5 ounces, and I don’t have anything that stir drinks so I’m stirring with a plastic spoon, but here we go…
And that’s a Tilden’s. Now, I will say a couple more words because I can.
I have been thinking a lot about my slam poetry roots lately. This was mostly prompted from volunteering to do a prompt based on retrospective on WU-SLam’s history and I how I intersected with it and one of the things that kept coming up while I was doing was a sentiment that I am not entirely sure is correct, but it does sound good and is thematically relevant while I have a mixed drink in my hand:
I am equal parts of what I am and what I am not.
Equal parts is probably where I take technical qualms with the exact definition, but it is a useful framework. I am Filipino-American. I am not white. I am non-binary. I am not a man. I am a writer. I am not [not-writer].
The [not-writer] is written in square brackets and goes back to the very idea that instigated this newsletter. One of not-specializing. One of knowing fundamentals and being okay with only ever knowing the fundamentals.
I am only where I am because of a broad base skill set and there are times where I think about the times where I chose differently. But every time, the thought passes just as quickly. I am not sure I believe in “fate”, but I do believe I made these choices for a reason and that’s… something right.
Cheers.