What I’ve Been Reading
American Gods, Neil Gaiman
I first read this book several years ago and didn’t really get it. Although I couldn’t explain why, I liked it. So recently I saw it on my bookshelf and realized it was time to give it another try. My second read-through made way more sense. I could actually explain the plot of it, although I won’t here—no spoilers! It is a magnificently sprawling book, I think what I appreciate most is that I could keep rereading it and gain a deeper understanding. Also, Neil Gaiman has become one of my favorite modern authors, so anything he writes is just delightful in its style and tone.
In Praise of the Quiet Life
This article is a really nice change of perspective from everything you hear from the world today.
“Our age is overwhelmingly alive to the benefits of active, dynamic, ‘noisy’ ways of living.”
And yet there is worth in examining another way to live. Maybe in living a quiet life we are to able to appreciate the essence of what it means to be human. The recent popularity of the Minimalist movement seems to suggest that people are looking for a more authentic lifestyle. And the last few months have seen us embracing a quieter life, although perhaps not willingly. Despite being quarantined at home, there are still ways to live a loud and active life. But perhaps the forced downtime is an opportunity to turn inward and reflect on what life really means.
What I’ve Been Listening To
This Spotify playlist, Fresh Morning, has been the background music to much of my reading and writing. It is peaceful and chill, without being so calming it puts me to sleep. I listen to a lot of quiet background music and this playlist is one of my favorites.
What I’ve Been Doing
With the slightly warmer weather this past week, I decided to work on some landscaping and gardening projects. My goal is to get to all the projects I talk about doing but keep putting off. I had to replant some of my indoor seedlings that had become root bound. I was hoping to just get them outside, but I don’t think the weather will be warm enough for another week or two.
What I’ve Been Writing
We Want to Feel Connected
This article was published last week in Medium’s publication, The Ascent.
We joke about how full our inboxes are, as an excuse for not responding to anything. Why is this? At a time when depression and loneliness are rampant, why aren’t we better at connecting? What makes us pull away from conversations?
What I’ve Been Thinking About
What will be the long-term effects of COVID-19 on business and personal decisions? It seems like we were living in such a reckless time, taking on so much risk. The business atmosphere made everyone feel invincible. You could start a business doing or making anything and earn millions. It was acceptable to have an overextended lifestyle, constantly borrowing from the future. It was a heady, greedy time. Obviously there are going to be significant changes going forward, and I am most interested to see how that plays out. Will people forget most of these lessons within a couple years? Or are we heading into a more conservative, risk-averse era? What will our social lives look like? In a few years, what will we remember as relics of a bygone age?
