Six for Saturday

Drifting back into the blogosphere with a Six for Saturday (although it may be Sunday before I get this finished, edited and posted…). But first, I have to say how much I appreciate you. Yes, you. If you’re here reading, if you’ve read in the past, if you’ve never wandered by my blog before. You have been my lifeline these past 2 months. Your blogs have made me laugh, have reminded me that my life is just one of many. You’ve helped me remember that things that seem Big And Scary often are absorbed into our lives and, eventually, become part of its fabric. My book list has grown tremendously (you all read so many good books!), and my need to travel has been reawakened thanks to all of you sharing your trips near and far.

In short, you’ve kept me engaged with Life with a capital “L”, and I am forever grateful.

(1) I haven’t shared any details of what transpired two months ago now, but I’ll just say that it was a major health issue, that at least part of it was my fault, and that things have significantly improved in the last 6 weeks. It has not been easy, but the care that I received, the treatment plan I am following, and the changes I have made in my life mean that I have more energy and interest in life than I’ve had in a long time. I still have about 6 months, probably, before I can put this mostly behind me. But the end is in sight, and to say that I’m doing much better than I was in early February is a huge (HUGE) understatement.

(2) My perspective on many things has changed – sleep, exercise, taking time away from work (and spending it with others)… I’ve deepened my connection with family, with virtual and IRL friends (and some who are both). I’ve spent an inordinate amount of time reading. I have planned two trips (TWO) for this summer. These are all good things. Really good things. I feel like I am waking up after being asleep for about a year. I didn’t realize how bad things had become until I was literally stopped in my tracks.

(3) And now? Well, now I am feeling the call of spring. The need to clean out. To get rid of things that are not (sigghhh) “bringing me joy”. I get a daily email from Flying Edna (a small, two person art and poetry shop that I have written about before) and today’s quote (they’re quoting women as it’s women’s history month) was from none other than Marie Kondo: “Keep only those things that speak to your heart. Then take the plunge and discard all the rest.”

(4) But I have to say that it’s not just my closet and my bookshelves that are being cleaned out. I’m starting to wonder if I’m in the beginning twinges of a midlife crisis. Or something. I have been here for eight years now – an eternity in my adult life! I have only worked at one other place as long as I’ve worked where I am now. I left that job and jumped to one I should NEVER have taken. Never ever. So while my feet and my brain are getting a bit antsy, I’m also reluctant to change anything given that previous experience. I’m also not sure what I want, which is… surprising. I love (well, have loved) what I do. Am I getting itchy feet because I am feeling stuck? I have a ton of manuscripts that need to be submitted for publication, which is always anxiety-producing. Is that what is making me feel this way? I don’t know. But what I do know is that I am starting to think about other options, other lines of research, and maybe even other careers. I might as well explore, right? (While yes, getting those manuscripts finished and submitted and, universe willing, accepted…)

(5) That, of course, begs the fun question of Where Would I Live if I Could Live Anywhere? (Note: this is not possible, given my “skillset”, but it’s fun to dream…) I would love to live in Europe, but the whole ‘job’ thing is a challenge. Not that there aren’t universities in Europe – but that those universities don’t usually hire people like me. In the states? I’d head West, almost certainly. I spent some time in Seattle earlier this month, and was reminded of how much I love that city and area of the country. Again, though, that pesky job thing (and the cost of living…). California and Oregon (well, western Oregon) are on my list, too. I am afraid that given the current challenges in higher ed, I’ve missed my chance, at least for a few years. This is all just speculation at this point, but I know I’ll be moving eventually so it’s not a bad thing to consider where that might be.

(6) Finally, I am getting back to my actual life. I’m working again – nearly back to what I was doing before things went off the rails. I am planning for summer and trips and work. I am looking forward to an unexpected but SO fun blogger meet up in June, and maybe another one in August if all works out. I’m back to grumbling about the Parking Situation at work (here’s hoping next year’s lottery is more favorable to me and to Sarah…) and griping with my coworkers about the interminable Friday afternoon meetings. Getting back to normal also means that I am doomscrolling more than I should be, and fretting about the state of the world, and worrying about my friends who are at risk of losing their jobs, and… yeah, all of that. I’m doing that, too.

I hope you are having a good weekend, wherever you are and whatever you are doing. Know that I am thinking of all of you – seriously, ALL of you – and I’m grateful to have you in my life. <3

Bright spots

A quick post, in the spirit of Elisabeth’s Happy Things Fridays. (She has a new one up today, fyi. :>)

I had intended to write a longer post this morning, but was derailed when I went in to update a Word document and found that Copilot had been installed without MS asking me about it. Things I Do Not Like About Technology. But! Moving on to brighter things (and if anyone can help me get the darn thing off my MS apps on my Mac, please share!).

Engie has been a bright spot in my life for over a year now. She extracted me from my apartment – figuratively, if not literally, kicking and screaming, and helped me relearn how to engage with people and the world. I am so grateful to have found her blog, and her, and for her persistence and willingness to accommodate my many weirdnesses.

We’ve gotten together with Birchie in the past year, and now Sarah in the very beginning of 2025! I will say it again – this blogging community means so much to me. So thank you Engie, and Birchie, and Sarah, for knowing my quirks and, well, talking to me anyway. ๐Ÿ™‚

Other bright spots? Finally making some small moves on the health front, with still unknown outcomes. But something is being done, and that makes a difference. My health care providers – despite the desperate state of health care in the US – are another bright spot in my life.

I’m also maintaining my joy-bringing habits – music, reading (finishing The God of the Woods and have thoroughly enjoyed it, then moving on to The Women). I’ve gotten rid of things that don’t work for me (more clothing will be out the door shortly) and getting somewhere with limiting the things that don’t bring me joy. For me, checking things off a list is a bright spot, indeed.

Finally, I picked my word of the year. I think this one will stick: priorities. It goes with many of my bright spots – continuing to connect, reading, music, decluttering. All of you. And in the spirit of that word, a quote from James Clear: “Caring about everything is a disaster. Caring about nothing is also a disaster. Nurture the small pocket of things that truly matter to you.” More to come about my priorities, and “goals”, if one can call them that, soon, I hope.

You all truly matter to me. Be well, my friends. Let’s help each other through these last two weeks (!!) of January.

The year that was

2024 had bright spots as well as challenges…and for me, it was the year that i remembered who I am and what I love. I credit all of you with spurring me on to go back to the things that make me, me. Your comments, your suggestions, the ways in which you live your lives – all of the things I love about all of you – reminded me that yes, these were things (well, many of them) that I used to love, too.

Reading This is probably the most striking change. Friends, this was the year that I rediscovered just how much I love to read. I always thought of myself as a reader, but it fell off of my priority list, replaced by work (of course), reading and/or listening to the news, and other forms of media-related and non-media related distraction. I will have a post coming up devoted to reading, books, and my love for Libby, but suffice to say that all of the library lovers in my virtual world finally changed my mind. I activated my Libby account (I had a library card already, yay). I started looking through the books they offered. And then – the event that changed everything? (This is so random, seriously…) My mom said how much she loved the audiobook version of The Dutch House, and when I said I’d never read it, she suggested I give it a try. Friends, it changed my life. I always thought that audiobooks were Not For Me. Turns out, I was listening to the wrong audiobooks. (This perspective was also likely influenced by childhood memories of listening to a CD and/or taped version of Just So Stories, a book I find Just So Annoying, in a car trip with lifelong friends years ago.)

I loved it. And I learned that with audiobooks, I could focus on the story while doing mindless tasks. I don’t need to focus on swiffering the floor, I can listen to Tom Hanks, or Meryl Streep, read me a story. This was mindblowing. I now have a very long Want to Read tag in Libby. I have a long list of books I’ve borrowed (with some DNFs). I’ve largely stopped spending money on books (JD Robb books being the exception – Engie, we are soulmates there). I’m saving money, I’ve read more books in the past year than I thought possible, AND it’s had a positive influence on my relationship with my parents and others.

More on this in another post, but wow. What a difference it makes to start my day with an audiobook, not the headlines.

Music

I thought that listening to music was something I’d left behind when cars stopped having tape decks. Yes, I’m old. I often listen to sports radio on my way to work. It’s a short trip, it’s low (or no) stakes, plus I like sports! But a month or so ago (maybe 2?) my therapist suggested putting on classical music, or piano music (both of which I love) while I am starting my day. I scoffed (gosh, that’s a great word) but agreed to try it. Friends, it was another game changer. Some mornings, I put on George Winston and friends (thank you, Apple music). Some mornings, it’s the Highwomen, or The Chicks (if I’m feeling rebellious, ha). I sometimes put on music in the evenings, but often I just want silence. And that’s okay, too.

The point is, it’s Not The News (see “Disconnecting”, below). It’s beautiful, well, most of it. It ties me to my past. I was a Band Nerd. I played in orchestra for years. I loved music in college (who didn’t)? And then I…lost it? This reminds me of the beauty that is music, and the ways in which it can enrich our lives in ways that the NY Times headlines cannot.

Contemplation

I am working hard to make contemplation and reflection a regular part of my life, something I started right around Thanksgiving. No, I’m not yet doing yoga (sorry, Nicole). But I am making sure to have something reflection-related in my morning, before I log in to work at an unmentionable hour. I make it more special by starting my day, right now, with hot cocoa, made from scratch, and now using the Special Dark cocoa. It’s not European cocoa but any stretch, but it’s light years better (IMO) than my baking cocoa. I try to take at least 20 minutes, but some days it’s only 10 and that’s okay. This is also often paired with “background music”, which I love. It just makes the mornings better. I mean, of course. ๐Ÿ™‚

Disconnecting

With the, um, changes (reversion?) happening in the US this month, I started trying very, very hard, to disconnect in 2024. This was a winter break-related change, to be honest. Late in the year, but shaping my current actions, too. Instead of reading every blinking article in the NY Times, I am skipping those that I just. don’t. want. to read. Or I DNF them – I do it with books, why not with articles, too? Instead, I listen to my sports podcast, or sports radio, or an audiobook. Or nothing. There’s something to be said for close-to-silence. There really is. It’s helping, I think. I’m also on Threads, and yes, it’s a Meta company, and yes, I know about the recent actions of their CEO. Sigh. That said, it’s light years better than the cesspool that is the other social network that I Shall Not Name. So for now, I will curate my feed to focus on political liberal-leaning folks, books, libraries, space images (seriously), and other joy-bringing content. For now, it works.

Thank you for reading this far, if you’ve made it this far. 2024 wasn’t all bad. I need to remember that. Thank you all for making it better than it could have been. <3

Poet Emily Dickinson on the power of this moment: “Forever is composed of nows.”

Trying to make my nows better than they were. Be gentle with yourself, friends.

Current state

I hate posting things that are not positive, particularly in this space between the years, but this is where I am right now, and this is one of the few places (virtual and real life) where I can be fully me.

I’m not going to lie – 2024 for me was like being on an endless roller coaster that sped up over the course of the year. A conglomeration of challenges made just getting through seem like a victory. And here I am. So, what is my current state? I think it’s best summed up by Adam Grant’s article on languishing.

The term has been applied primarily to the COVID-19 pandemic, but for me, it describes this season of my life. I just feel…blah. Like I’m getting through the days, often without any particular highs or lows, but just surviving. For me, it seems to be the result of having a lot added to my list without much (if anything) being removed.

At the start of the year, I got tenure (well, I made it over the last “big hurdle”, and the remaining mini-hurdles were mostly pro forma). Which, of course, was amazing. This was an achievement I had hoped to attain in my life as an academic.

Then I found out the reality, which was that tenure = more responsibilities because yay, you’re a senior faculty member now! More committees, students, mentees… and the list goes on. I also added things to my own list, mostly because I dislike turning down requests and/or pleas from fellow faculty members. And it doesn’t help that I dealt with multiple health challenges that persisted throughout the year and will continue into 2025. I also – much to my chagrin – wasn’t able to keep up with blog reading and commenting, which seemed necessary but in hindsight just made me feel more distant from a community that I love and value and want to be engaged with. Spring semester will be even more challenging. My health issues have not resolved, I’ve had classes added to my schedule, and there will be more (there is always more, it seems).

Which begs the question: Now what? This will be a separate (hopefully more positive) post, but I am actively seeking to change my mindset, shift my focus, and think about what matters to me. If this sounds familiar, it’s because I’ve been posting about this since I started this blog. This time, though, seems different. I certainly hope so.

I considered turning off comments on this post, but decided to leave them open. Please know that I am okay, I just need to figure out how to get through and past this stage in my life. Having you all in my life will help me do that. <3

I’m going to leave you with an unusual quote (for me):

When I was young, I believed that life might unfold in an orderly way, according to my hopes and expectations. But now I understand that the Way winds like a river, always changing, ever onward.. My journeys revealed that the Way itself creates the warrior; that every path leads to peace, every choice to wisdom. And that life has always been, and will always be, arising in Mystery. ~Socrates