Do you even Instagram anymore?
"Do you even Instagram anymore?"
Legit question I’ve received and the truth? I don’t know.
I haven’t posted since mid-December and then took an unintentional break over the holidays and didn't check the app for 10 days (!!). I started checking again recently, just once or twice a day, and you guys, my brain feels less cluttered.
Ok that’s not entirely true—it’s still cluttered but cluttered with real life things and work things and less cluttered with concerns about what X, Y, Z person is doing, wearing, or saying that has no bearing on my life. I no longer walk around during the day thinking about what would make a good photo or whether I have any “content” to post.
Having started off my writing life as a blogger, I have this weird relationship with social media. Like I should be on it all the time to promote! Gain followers! Build my brand! And while there are incredible writers who have big social media followings and “platforms”, but having a curated “brand” didn’t make them into good writers. Writing did.
Also, I don't want to be a brand. In that vein, I am not freaking out that I started this year with a full 1,000 fewer followers than I started with last year. I swear. 😬
What I’ve Written
Apparently all my stories are still in the editing process and/or in production?
What I’ve Been Reading
Tell Me One More Time What to Do About Grief (NY Times): Because no one really talks about grief. Still, even 34 years after my dad died (to the day I just realized), I still don’t understand it and it takes new shapes and forms all the time.
Bright Lights, Small City (Curbed): When people ask me why I want to move out of New York City, it’s hard to explain. Sure, it’s in part due to the fact that I’ve lived here for 20+ years, more than half of my life. But there is something beyond the grind and wear and tear of city living. Jami Attenberg’s account of trading life in the big city for a smaller city captures so many of these feelings
“In New York City, as with most big cities, there is the opportunity to be anonymous on the streets. For a long time, I loved no one knowing who I was or what my business was. I took comfort in the speed with which I moved through the streets of the city, head down, in my own little world, but still somehow absorbing a thousand details at once. It was helpful to my development as an artist, I felt. If all you want is to be left alone with your imagination, then there is no better place to do it than New York.
In New Orleans, there is an insistence to the way we all interact with each other out in the world. We share these streets, which are generally sparsely populated in the neighborhoods. There are good mornings, goodnights, how y’all doings, and head nods and smiles and eye contact. There are neighbors who walk out on their front porch to give treats to my dog. There is polite chit-chat even if we don’t know each other. There are waves from car windows. There is communication. My solo-artist instincts still sometimes rise up, but here, I can’t hide even on those rare occasions I wish I could. This is me now: I’d rather be seen and known than ignored and isolated.”
The Kick: If you’re a fan of running, then you need to subscribe to this new newsletter about women in running from Molly Mirhashem, my amazing editor at Outside.
As Sports Become Safer, Bull Riding Doubles Down on Danger (Medium): While every other sport seems to be taking steps to minimize the risk of concussions, bull riding? Not so much.
“As every other sport makes rules and adds penalties, bull riders are getting on stronger bulls than ever, knowing they’ll get injured, and hanging on for the ride. Riding a bull can’t be safe, and it won’t be, because no one really wants it to be.”
A $20,243 bike crash: Zuckerberg hospital’s aggressive tactics leave patients with big bills (Vox): I mean, holy hell. $20,243 for a broken arm. Plus, the way SF General chooses to manage its billing and insurance relationships is such an interesting choice, especially given a $75 million donation from Mark Zuckerberg.
The Weight I Carry (The Atlantic): This essay—Amazing words to describe the honest, human experience of being fat.
“Losing weight is a fucking rock fight."
Being a boy: Ages 11 and 12 and Age 8 (The Washington Post): Sometimes I wish I could be a fly on the wall and watch my two boys navigate through their day. See, they are 11 and 9, a really interesting age where personalities start to solidify and they are learning how be more independent. These two stories give a glimpse into what it’s like today for today’s boys.
These Are Not Sad Stories How graphic medicine humanizes the world of health care. (The Cut): At a time when medicine feels so dehumanizing, I love the idea that comics and art can make it feel more human. This is a story I wish I had written.
1 Woman, 12 Months, 52 Places (NY Times): Last year, the New York Times sent one journalist to each of the 52 places on their 52 places to visit list. This is a recap of the lessons she learned. And in case your wondering what made this year’s travel list? Here you go.
What I’ve Been Watching and Listening To
The Dawn Wall: Since watching Free Solo, I’ve wanted to watch more climbing documentaries so naturally, I watched The Dawn Wall, the other climbing film that was released last fall and follows Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson's 19-day climb of the Dawn Wall, a 3,000 rock face of El Capitan in Yosemite.
Believed: This one was a hard one to listen to. It's a look into how Larry Nassar was able to get away with sexually assaulting so many girls and women for so long and what it finally took for his victims to be believed and win justice.
Broken Harts: Also a hard one to listen to. Back in March 2018, a car drove off a cliff in Mendocino County. Inside were the Hart family—two moms and their 6 adopted kids. This podcast looks into the Harts, what happened, and why because the Facebook story can be so different from the true life story.
Ali on the Run - Meaghan Murphy, Executive Editor at Good Housekeeping: Ali describes Meghan as a real-life Energizer Bunny and it’s true. It may be impossible to finish this podcast and not feel energized and optimistic. They cover a lot of ground—marriage, career, Meaghan’s recovery from anorexia, and grief. OMG the detour into the dirtiest items in our houses!
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