In recent weeks I’ve been helping Chapter 510 in schools mentoring 4th-graders writing poetry, and the topic one day was “What is your Magic Spot?” As in, where do you feel safest, and most yourself?

What an important thing to think about! A lot of these kids’ magic spots were their room, or bed, or maybe a sibling’s bed where they played video games together, or someplace that contained an important relative, like that relative’s house or a nearby park.

The students described places where they felt relaxed, on their own time doing their own things. Where they felt seen and heard as themselves.

I have magic spots scattered around, like some sort of spot nomad. All these spots have the same recipe. There is paper or a notebook or iPad or bit of cardboard or shopping bag. There are pens and pencils. There is reading material. I’m a site-specific book reader, so there’s the bed book, the dining room book, the living room book.

I also carry around the Portable Spot, which is me stuffing some paper and pens into a bag (along with a book) and going somewhere. I make sure I’ve always got some paper and something to draw or write with.

We have the power to just up and create a Magic Spot for ourselves and others. We do that by sitting with someone, or listening to someone, or giving them someplace to think or make stuff up or read. We can give people pencils (I have always loved new art supplies!), or other material, or just some minutes to sit and think or hum or make stuff up. Whatever a person needs. This is a thing we can do.

Artists paint or write or play or dance Magic Spots, that other people can go into for a time. Teachers make spots for thinking and learning. But you don’t actually need anything much more than the willingness to set aside a bit of time and space, and see and hear someone, maybe just yourself. Magic!

Neptune Road

The story of people salvaging a life on Neptune.

Things Of The Week

Oh man I can’t do this.

After you’ve annoyed yourself with that one, you can calm down with this one

Or maybe you would rather hide away in a castle somewhere (Magic Spot!) and this will help you pick one

Featured Thing

Flying around at night might also be a Magic Spot.

Okay! That's enough nonsense for now.

May your Magic Spot be just what and where you want it to be, may you make a spot whenever you need one, won't you be my neighbor? - Betsy

“And remember, if you don’t like the news, go out and make some of your own!” - Scoop Nisker