i am writing this email on tuesday afternoon. dangerous, i know, in these fast moving times to write anything that wont be read until… less than a day later. but i think that’s going to be the point of this month’s letter. anything i am feeling today, anything i say today, i would like to be true at least for tomorrow. maybe in these days of political upheaval, catastrophic weather events, and a fast moving virus (and it's just tuesday) this is too much to ask, but it is still my fervent prayer for today.
lord/god/higherpower/universe/spirit/wtf, please grant me 24hrs to know my feelings and have them stay the same. amen. thank you. namaste. hi-five. #blessed
i’ve just gotten back from a sunny run that included a trip to my local polling place. this is one of the major benefits of the rural place i live - lots of delicious dirt roads to run on (good for my aging knees) that lead to our simple town hall. our setup has been the same for the 15+ years i have lived here, and i suspect for much much longer than that. some homemade wooden dividers propped up on sawhorses. somebody always brings a collection of desktop lamps and clip on lights. this morning there were fresh sparkly american flag pencils, with swank black erasers, awaiting our choices. when you’re done, you fold your paper ballot and hand crank it into a big wooden box. i was 334 at 11 in the morning, which bodes well for a high turnout.
it was my honor to vote for my senator elizabeth warren. someday i hope to take her job, but that’s for another newsletter. my (pencil) point here, is that the whole thing filled me with joy. the run, the wooden booths, seeing my neighbors, voting for senator warren. true delight. (for more on delight, see ME GUSTA below). maybe voting for extremely qualified women in charming town halls is not your scene. i hear you, i havent always felt like mainstream democracy had a place for me. but today it felt like a very meaningful action that will help our country. whatever your scene is, i hope you can take a moment today and tomorrow to do something that feels good for our country. yes, our country, which is currently panic-ing about a virus and recovering from all sorts of bad stuff all over.
lately, it feels to me like everything is happening way too fast. whatever happens next, i just want a little reprieve to enjoy this moment. maybe in the 20 seconds it is recommended i take to properly wash my hands, i can think of positive actions, things that delight me, or just close my eyes and take some deep breaths.
speaking of virus-es etc, i am still gonna gather in groups with people until someone makes me stop. first of all, it’s my job. second of all, it would make me sad to retreat and isolate unless i need to. so, wont you please join me, safely, at any of the events listed below?
WASH YOUR HANDS!!
x erin
ps: the perfect hand washing video made by my dearest susan werner.
¡ME GUSTA! : SOME OF MY FAVORITE THINGS
season 3 of babylon berlin dropped this weekend, along with the second volume of its soundtrack. if you like crime noir, amazing costumes, and really good takes on the music of 1929 berlin, this series is your jam. it's certainly mine!!
being a side person for an artist is an incredibly difficult high-wire act requiring tremendous talent, consistency, and selfless-ness. here's a fantastic documentary about the work of these often invisible artists.
i love a fascinating, historical riot story.
my therapist recommended ross gay's "book of delights", and i was resistant. but damn, it's really good and does indeed produce delight in the reader.