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Weekly Rundown

by MAÔ, posted in Social, Writing

Yes, I think that has stuck. I like it. It’s kind of like my weekly check-in, but with less introspection. Just things that have caught my attention.

What I’m reading: Monsters Among Us: An Exploration of Otherworldly Bigfoots, Wolfmen, Portals, Phantoms, and Odd Phenomena by Linda S. Godfrey. I wanted to get one more seasonal read in before November. Well, what to say. Do you believe in spirit creatures, possessions, skin walkers, UFOs, or otherworldly portals? Or not? Either way, an interesting book broken down in case studies. 

Additionally, if you check out the @WerewolfReports bot on Twitter, you can keep updated on odd werewolf sightings… If you believe in that kind of thing.

What I’m listening to: Lore, from Aaron Mahnke. Specifically the Trick or Treat episodes from 2016 and 2017. But, listen to whatever you feel like. Or, watch the video series on Amazon Prime Video!

What I’m spending time with: Switching over my recording from Audacity to GarageBand. I host a radio show twice a week, which is prerecorded and aired on 107.1 WZEA. Until recently I had used Audacity. However, since updating the MacBook, my microphones don’t work for recording. There’s a cumbersome workaround, but I’d rather have a simple time making my episodes. So I’ve been looking at the GarageBand recording platform. It seems that there used to be a Podcast recording option, since removed, but it works fairly well. I’ll give it a try, and either continue on it, or switch back when the new update for Audacity comes out.

Other things of interest this week:

  • This article from Vice on what the absence of humanity would look like on Earth. It’s something similar to what I’ve been contemplating, like in Because one day we die. What do we individually leave behind? And, what as a species will be left?
  • Seth Godin on his late friend Lionel Poilane, who owned a bakery in Paris, Poilane’s  daughter Apollonia’s new book.
  • Looking to the future, my friend and I are planning a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. Doubtful it will be next year, because I’m looking to do some fun work over the summer, prime hiking time. So the possible start is March 18, 2021. We’ll see how our plans go between now and then.
  • Maria Popova on Thirteen Years of Brain Pickings. A great website, with great weekly emails.
  • Another listen: Marketplace’s Conversations from the Corner Office with Walking Dead Content Director Scott Gimple.

Sugar Rush

by MAÔ, posted in Holidays, Writing

Halloween. The candy is out, and the houses are decorated with pumpkins, cobwebs, and other scary paraphernalia.

I do love this time of year. It’s October, and that’s a great time of year for me. Busy. But great.

As you unwrap the candies and snack away, waiting for trick-or-treaters, or watch scary movies to celebrate, I hope you remember what it was like when you were young. When monsters were real, and magic lurked behind everything you didn’t understand.

I think there’s joy in living life that way, which is why we get to be envious of youth.

Happy Halloween.

Gratitude

by MAÔ, posted in Social, Writing

I have trouble keeping with the habit of gratitude. Actually, building habits in general is challenging for me. I believe for most people. Too easy to be distracted, or too many things of interest.

I’ve been good with my yoga practice, and with writing on the blog. Not so good with morning journaling. This year was exceptionally sporadic in the morning journaling.

Gratitude is another one. I’ll go for a few weeks, then fall off. But every time I start, there are consistent elements that pop up. And maybe it’s because I write gratitude statements first thing in the morning, but that first list always has one thing: coffee.

So as I drink my coffee, know that I am extremely grateful to the Dominicans who picked these beans; to the roasters (one day I will roast my own); and to the companies that made the Ninja coffeepot, the mug, and the creamer. I couldn’t see myself starting the day without them.

Pursuit

by MAÔ, posted in Mountain

It’s easy to be distracted. To fall off the bandwagon. Because pursuit is hard work.

It’s hard to maintain laser focus. To devote precious time to a specific activity.

We can’t be sure it’ll pan out. Sometimes we jump ship before reaching the goal, just because it’s difficult.

But imagine what finishing would look like. That’s what successful people do. They see it through to fruition.

Yes, sometimes they too will fail. Hard. Public, epic fails that make everyone cringe.

But not completing the pursuit is the only sure way to not succeed. Yes, you may not fail. You just won’t be…

In fact, the true successes are those who have doggedly pursued their interest in spite of failure.

Art, democratized

by MAÔ, posted in Art

The process and product of art is democratized, thanks in large part to the internet. While industrialized creative endeavors fought against the innovations, the movement has progressed regardless.

Now it’s easier than ever to find your audience, identify common needs, and create a tribe. The most important thing, then, is to start.

O Appalachia

by MAÔ, posted in Travel

I’ve been kicking over the idea of hiking the Appalachian Trail for some time. Though I’m not certain next year will be when I through-hike, I believe I’ll do at least a portion of it in 2020.

Hiking as a vegetarian will be something new for me, and I’ve been exploring some different recipes that I could try, include heavy-Indian-influenced cuisine. As I keep exploring the new cooking methods and backpacking prep, I’ll likely include more and more posts on the subject.

Weekly Rundown

by MAÔ, posted in Social

What I’m reading: Dungeons & Dragons and Philosophy by Robichaud and Irwin. Sometime last year I played D&D for the first time, though the campaign only lasted a few months. Some friends and I have been talking about getting back together on a weekly basis. Also being interested in Philosophy, this was an interesting find for me.

What I’m listening to: White noise. Lots and lots of white noise.

What I’m spending time with: Decluttering. Between selling things on eBay, throwing stuff out, and donated gently used items, it seems like I’ve gotten rid of so much and yet I still have too much. I’ve found that everything has a way of piling up. From the smallest receipt to the boxes that online orders come in from. I started with Marie Kondo’s book three years ago, and have waged a war in my house against excess stuff. It’s still anyone’s guess which of us will win.

Other things of interest:

  • HBO’s new series featuring the indomitable Helen Mirren as Catherine the Great. This article addresses the troubling effects of rumors, especially as they relate to women who take their sexual power seriously. A good read. Another over at The Daily Beast.
  • Star Wars Episode IX final trailer is out. Umm, I have thoughts. I’ll wait to see it, but I was underwhelmed by Episode VIII. I thought Force Awakens set up a good series, but then Last Jedi felt less like a part of the saga a more a one-off film featuring characters from the Episodes. So like I said, I’ll wait to see it.
  • Vulture’s Read Like the Wind – a new space for discovering books. I like books. They like books. It’s two for one.

Revisiting resistance

by MAÔ, posted in Yoga

I wrote this about two months ago, after diving deep into my yoga practice.

I’m stretching out the muscles in my legs.

As I’m stretching them out, pushing forwards and backwards on my legs, alleviating the tension that builds up, I notice the resistance. Resistance that is met in a forward bend and backward bend. And just as the resistance becomes so terrible, so unbearable, the tension releases. I can feel the muscle actually give way – it sort of vibrates, and then it’s loose.

I think of it as a metaphor for all resistance we face. I don’t push the stretch to the point where the muscle will tear. That would do irreparable harm. But I’m finding the space just past comfortable, where I’m living in the state of discomfort, until the muscle finally gives. The resistance breaks.

You must lean into the points, as Pena Chödrön says.

Over the past few months, reestablishing my yoga practice, I’ve had to remember this more and more.

The big decisions

by MAÔ, posted in Pathfinding

I was talking with a friend of mine today about this and that. Decluttering, relocating, loss and grief, acceptance, work, etc. We try and talk frequently, though sometimes it is longer between chats.

Something he said regarding making big decisions stuck with me. In times of distress, try not to make any big changes.

For many of us, though, we stay in states of emotional distress. From work, relationships, financial hardship – it can be a challenge to approach things calmly.

So what will help? Those things I’ve found that work for me – Recovery days, Letting Go, No preference – I’ve actually been working towards making the big decisions, and letting the rest fall to the background.

And that is an exciting place to be.