this morning.
what is happening? and how?
I went to a coffee shop early this morning. I sat inside—gasp!—and drank my latte while listening and writing and looking out a window. I needed this. It felt like mornings of forever ago. I went to try and fall in love with people and the mornings and Seattle again. But the two men at the table next to me were talking about their real estate ventures. Their $100 million deals. Their struggles to find workers for the janitorial services of all their buildings. An actual quote:
“And he was like, ‘I’m the CEO! Fuck you, bitch.’ And I was like, ‘Well, I’m the developer, so fuck you, too!’”
Oofta. Seattle Real Estate, settle down. Then I saw a woman outside, masked up, walking across the way on the sidewalk with her dog. It was one of those big dogs with curly white hair and the eyes that look like they’re a human inside a dog suit, running a long-con to get their owner to fall in love with them and then say, “Don’t worry! I’m not a dog! I’m a man!” The fact that this woman put him (and trust you me he was a him) in a Carhartt waxed canvas vest was not helping his don’t-look-like-a-human disguise. The couple stopped. The man-dog had to poop. (in a weirdly human way, too.) The woman looked away. And to give her canine husband some privacy and to pass time, she started picking up bike-share e-bikes that had been knocked over. She lined them all up for no other reason than to be helpful. This woman is a gem. No wonder he’s going through this dog-suit rigamarole for her.
I spent a lot of time this morning walking around the neighborhood—thinking. Wondering if good things happen to you or if you make good things happen. Wondering if bad things happen to you or if you make bad things happen. Wondering if big things happen. If fun things happen. If great things happen. If horrible things happen. To you. Or because of you. In the middle of this existential crisis, I tripped. And then I laughed hard—out loud. Because I tripped right in front of a chalk-drawn hopscotch course.
I decided to take myself a little less seriously at the moment and do some hopscotching. So, I guess it’s both, right? They happen to you, but then you make them happen.
A Little Woo:
I drew this card—The Emperor—this morning during my daily tarot card reading. And I want to talk less about the message of the card (yes, I need to create more routine around what I love to rid my life of some anxiety… I HEAR YOU, CARDS), but more about how the descriptions for these cards are written. I am in awe that in each description of the Modern Witch Tarot Cards, female pronouns are used. For The Emperor…
“She is a comforting answer to the chaos of the natural world, but she is rigid and uncompromising on her stony throne.”
This may seem small, but after reading hundreds and hundreds of children’s books in the last two years where the main character is male, having female descriptions be the given is SO refreshing. Listen: when in every book you read, animals or inanimate objects or heroes are assumed to be men or boys, having women be the default for any kind of reading is huge. It’s still a pretty bare minimum, but I’ll take it. It makes me excited.
Quick Hits:
Jam of the Week: Spoon – Wild.
(we were lucky enough to see Spoon last week and it was one of the greatest nights. I love this Austin band and I’m obsessed with this new song and video and cannot WAIT for the album to be out on February 11th.)
Need a Smile?
(we know Instagram is destroying our lives, but sometimes it gives random goodness.)I’m a Master Class Convert.
(I finally used a guest pass my mother-in-law gave me a year ago to Master Class. I’m taking the David Sedaris Storytelling class as well as the RuPaul Self-Expression class and I’m in love. they both feel so special and so right. cannot recommend enough if you’re into… learning things.)We Watched This Movie and… Had Mixed Reviews.
(The Lost Daughter is a hard one to watch if you have a daughter. it’s beautiful and I’m mildly obsessed with Jessie Buckley now. I think it’s a great adaptation of the book, but I think the most interesting part of all of this is that this movie wouldn’t even be a movie if it was about a man. the story of a father feeling trapped and leaving isn’t a story, because it’s a tale as old as time. but a mother leaving to pursue her passion? heresy! I’m not about to leave my family… but I just wanted to point this out.)
My Daughter Watched Her First Whole Movie.
(we were both sick over the weekend, so we watched this movie. it was so good that even though it was Marcelline’s nap time, I made her stay up and finish it with me. I cried a lot. Marcelline was confused.)
Vintage Goods.
(I talked about my friend Jared a couple of newsletters ago and forgot to include his and his wife’s awesome vintage goods side-hustle! I’ve gotten myself some awesomeness from them.)
Thanks for being a key part of this randomness—it means the world, it is my world, right now. Also, if you like this, share it!
You’re amazing.
xxo,
rachel.