I Need a Better Name for These

A bit of meta blogging up front (everyone’s favorite!): I’ve called these posts “Roundup” before, whether they were weekly, monthly, or some longer period of time. I think I am fine with the inconsistent timing of them, but I would like to use some name for them that is consistent so I don’t get bogged down thinking about it. Maybe it could be “A Roundup for [date]” or maybe I should just be more chill about it like Joe: “Misc Notes And Recent Updates.”

Anyway, on with the actual post.

I was reminded of this Instagram reel that I meant to share months ago. It was about the grief of witnessing all the death and destruction in the world, specifically Gaza. It remains relevant for that, of course, but I think is also applicable for the uncertainty many of us are feeling after the US election. I transcribed it because I wanted the words to be a bit more permanent.

“Something coming up a lot for folks is they are stuck in their overwhelm and grief and I wanted to offer some indigenous solutions to colonial problems. Mine come from the Moana Lasi from Tuvalu and from many lands and healers and knowledge-keepers around the world.

One of the things I’m doing to support myself and other people is that when I’m watching images of unimaginable loss and pain, I’m taking a moment to thank my exquisite sensitivities for reminding me of my humanity. I would much rather feel this much pain than be numb to this kind of suffering and that makes me feel really grateful.

The second thing I want to offer is that my understanding of grief is that it is love with nowhere to go. And when I’m looking at these images that are making me feel so angry and underneath that anger is grief and underneath that grief is love. And so when I trace my grief to the love underneath, I can give that somewhere to go. I can go out into my community. I can care for people. If you live in a settler colony, there is no shortage of suffering around you and we can go and spend that love somewhere.

Settler colonialism thrives on fear and separation. And so every time we have faith and every time we lean in for connection, we are resisting this system. So I wanted to remind us this because when we do our resistance in this way, in this generative way, it keeps our bodies safer, our community stronger, and it means we can keep it up for a lifetime.”

— Leah Manaema, Instagram Reel

I also enjoyed this recent post on The Marginalian, “Oliver Sacks on Despair and the Meaning of Life” and this quote from a letter he wrote:

When moods of defeat, despair, accidie and “So-what-ness” visit me (they are not infrequent!), I find a sense of hope and meaning in my patients, who do not give up despite devastating disease. If they who are so ill, so without the usual strengths and supports and hopes, if they can be affirmative — there must be something to affirm, and an inextinguishable power of affirmation within us.

I think “the meaning of life” is something we have to formulate for ourselves, we have to determine what has meaning for us… It clearly has to do with love — what and whom and how one can love.

— Oliver Sacks

Last Friday I went to an event at Burn All Books to hold space together post-election, create art, share feelings, share resources, etc. I loved the idea and that they required masking. They had a bunch of art supplies, paper, and magazines for people to craft into zines, collages, or whatever struck your fancy. There were a lot more people than I expected, about 20 of us. I only talked to a couple people, but it felt so warm to be around people and everyone being masked reminded me we have community that cares. I drew this quote from Mariame Kaba that is also the title of one of her books. It’s been on my to-read list for a while and I’ll definitely be reading it in the near future.

Marcy Wheeler has a good post today, “Go Stare at the Ocean”:

“…take some time, however long you can, to go stare at the ocean. Or the sky. Or a meadow or mountain or river. Or even a swarming city street.

Go stare at something and just stare.

Oh, and also, breathe. If you need to, do something that will help you breathe: yoga, walking, swimming, singing, playing the tuba.

And after you’ve stared for a while, sit down and think about how you’re going to pick yourself back up again. I’m not asking you to pick yourself back up again.

Yet.

Just asking you to make a plan about how you’ll do so.”

— Marcy Wheeler, “Go Stare at the Ocean”

Imogen Heap released a new single!

Imogen Heap, “What Have You Done to Me?”