What I’ve Been Reading
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, Robert Heinlein
I am actually working on a longer book review about this, so I won’t make any comments about it here.
Empathy Starts With Curiosity
I really liked this piece by Peter Bregman about the unique challenges we’re facing during this time. There is so much uncertainty and fear, how do you handle it?
“There is a way in which this pandemic may be calling us to slow down and listen. What if we resist the urge to act — to just do something — and, instead, stop doing? Just be present. What you discover may surprise you.”
Instead of allowing our fear to blind us, or taking action simply to stay busy, this is an opportunity to be curious about yourself. Maybe we can all come out of this with a little more understanding and love for ourselves.
The World Through a Lens
This is a fascinating series from the New York Times highlighting unique locations around the world. Last week I really enjoyed seeing the various kinds of lemurs in Madagascar, and learned about the slightly disturbing creature called the “aye-aye.” Today I am looking forward to learning about the saffron harvesting in Italy. If you’re feeling a little stuck, this series of pieces is a good way to bring back some curiosity and wonder.
What I’ve Been Listening To
This new album from Sleeping at Last includes some of my favorite pieces, such as Saturn and the August 21, 2017: Total Solar Eclipse. The whole album has such an ethereal, other-worldly sound, it really manages to capture the magic of space.
What I’ve Been Doing
We had a few days of cold and rainy weather this week so I decided to get back into Don’t Starve Together. This survival game is both endearing and dangerous—the graphics and design make it look cute and charming, but the actual play-through is extremely challenging. In the past I’d turn off most of the difficult aspects, such as having to survive through winter, or encountering various monsters. But this time I decided to play at the default settings. While it is certainly more difficult, it has also been more fun. There are so many approaches to playing this game, I really enjoy planning out my strategy and trying to balance all the needs and resources.
I am also enjoying seeing all the signs of spring around here. I put out my oriole and hummingbird feeders last week and am now getting regular visitors. I finally managed to attract some goldfinches as well, and I’ve spotted some indigo buntings nearly every day. I am working on hardening off all my greenhouse plants to get them ready for outdoor living soon. I’ve been able to tackle some bigger landscaping projects this spring and am excited to see how everything looks this year.
What I’ve Been Thinking About
Playing a video game can be a good way to practice failing. I have a hard time playing any games where I have a likelihood of losing. With playing Don’t Starve recently, I have failed over and over. I’ve died maybe 15-20 times so far. I come back into the game with no resources and no idea where I am in the world. But each time, I learn something new. I’ve learned how to not deal with monsters. I’ve learned to be more prepared for winter. It is all feedback. I think in a way it is a kind of therapy for me to deal with the fear of failing in real life.
