End of the week - 07.21.23

let's wrap it up + reading links from la semana

My activity of choice for this week was dancing and running, movements that are grounded. Last week, I was happy swimming, but that got old, enough to make me feel like a wet mop, though I probably could use another dip in this ever-increasing heat. 

Dancing—beyond the definition of freeing, it allows me to create shapes, a clarity of thought, where there was muddy stagnant water. I get a sudden boost of energy for the rest of the day, either from improvising dance moves to music or following an online workout with choreography. 

I ran at the beginning and end of the week. I stopped running for almost a month in place of swimming, so it felt odd, going through the motions, especially in the muggy heat—no where to float. Earlier in the day, it’s not so bad, especially in the grassy area with ample tree coverage. Warming up on the grass and running across the field in the park nearby is my preferred method. 

There’s something about nature that cures, allows the mind expand, and immerses you in what matters: that animalistic instinct of just being and exploring rather than being tied to a chair and screen. 

Some setbacks this week: My essay draft was was not accepted by a well-known publication. Rejections are annoying, but also when there’s no feedback attached; silence is obviously worse. With essays, it’s about the process and interacting with the materials and ideas. Having someone tell you what to fix isn’t exactly a personal journey on the page as you move through the research. I sent some humor pieces, so I’m hoping they’ll get picked. 

Also, I’m watching Oppenheimer and then Barbie, but not on the same day, because I’m sane and also a grandma.

What I’m reading?

Human News: Denied abortion for a doomed pregnancy, she tells Texas court: 'There was no mercy'

Bird News: Apparently Magpies and Crows Are Using "Anti-Bird Spikes" to Make Their Nests

Film Review: Oppenheimer

Creative NonFiction: Another Appalachia, Neema Avashia

Graphic Memoir: Can’t we talk about something more pleasant? Roz Chast, a memoir

Short story: The land of happiness