Virgo Szn
We say some version of it every year: “I can’t believe it’s fall already!” This year that phrase rings true more than others as time has become more arbitrary than it has in the past. Days feel like months, months akin to years, and this year has been the longest decade any of us have had to endure. Luckily, the seasons have progressed (albeit a little more mild or extreme depending upon where you live) and we’re finally upon my favorite of the year: autumn. Along with its sibling winter, this time of year holds a fondness which none other can top. This is when the best and worst of humanity is on display and the shift in attitude and ideals is palpable. This year has been so different to so many others, and will continue to shape where we end up as a people throughout the world. In the U.S. it’s an imperative election season, throughout most of the world Covid-19 is running rampant, human rights issues are being raised, tech companies are expanding, manufacturing is moving toward new growth, and people are just tired.
Despite all of that, I have come to become immersed in and enjoyed a lot of things throughout the past month and I wanted to share those with you. So, dear reader, here is a run down of all the things that have brought me delight in August and that will (hopefully) do the same for you.
Dump Trump Patch by CraftMadeGoods
Chelsea, of CraftMadeGoods, made these at the peak of the BLM protests within our hometown (she’s local!) and the design honestly sparked something in me. It speaks to the intersectionality of what we are all trying to accomplish and showcases that our identities aren’t a contradiction. From the beautiful colors to the juxtaposition of movement and the pink background, this patch was one that I saw and immediately loved.
She also donated the proceeds to a local organization called LGBTQ+ Saves and continues to not only do community work for others, but actively volunteers with them in order to raise awareness, bring hope, and ensure that people are seen.
Helium by Glass Animals
We all know Taylor Swift just came out with a new album (Folklore) but did you know Glass Animals also came out with an album?
No?
Let’s talk about that. I first discovered Glass Animals through a friend in Humanities class in college and quickly fell in love with their sound.
Truth be told, Helium isn’t the name of the album but it’s my favorite track off of Dreamland, makes me feel alive, and is the epitome of “chill.” Everything that Glass Animals creates is an experience that can not only change one’s mood, but break out of the day-to-day dredge we all find ourselves in. From the clever lyrics, to the melodic sounds that have no rival, their music has definitely added so much value to my life and has enabled me to change my perspective in a way that I wouldn’t have been able to without it. I started listening to them in a time when a lot of my music was homogenous in sound and was “safe” because I needed safety, but by exploring more bands, artists, and genres similar to Glass Animals, I discovered a diverse undercurrent of sounds and voices that have added to my experience as a human. They’ve allowed me to connect with others who also enjoy their music and have provided a calming hum to the stresses within my brain. I hope you’ll check them out and let me know what you think as well. You can find their website here, and their album here.
Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler
As a reader, every so often I am struck by a book and taken in by its pages. The turning pages become my breaths, the words my lifeblood, and the binding my mind trying to encapsulate the world it contains. Such was the case with the Parable of the Sower and its sequel as well. It was a book that I bought on a whim but whose plot quickly devoured my every waking moment - the story of the protagonist echoed my own plight throughout the world (albeit without the drugs, violence, and extreme dystopian society.) The society within the books depicted by Butler showcases a version of our own reality - corrupt leaders, humanity is considered a weakness, and disparity of all kinds are dictating how one’s life will play out. Her words illustrated just how bad our world can become in a very short amount of time. Environments can become transitory ghosts of places they once contained, and people can begin to haunt themselves. Here is a little bit of background from the novel:
“When global climate change and economic crises lead to social chaos in the early 2020s, California becomes full of dangers, from pervasive water shortage to masses of vagabonds who will do anything to live to see another day. Fifteen-year-old Lauren Olamina lives inside a gated community with her preacher father, family, and neighbors, sheltered from the surrounding anarchy. In a society where any vulnerability is a risk, she suffers from hyperempathy, a debilitating sensitivity to others' emotions.
Precocious and clear-eyed, Lauren must make her voice heard in order to protect her loved ones from the imminent disasters her small community stubbornly ignores. But what begins as a fight for survival soon leads to something much more: the birth of a new faith . . . and a startling vision of human destiny.”
I don’t think I’ve read a deeper examination of human nature since 1984, nor have I fallen completely in love with the setting, characters, and depictions of resilience. In both novels, the concept of empathy or emotion of any kind being a weakness is portrayed flawlessly and illustrates the greater problems of society - our disconnection and disillusionment with it and those around us. So often we pit the individual at the top: the one who sacrificed everything, came from nothing, was an underdog, but surprisingly built an empire that will outlive them. These are the anomalies, and yet they dominate our conscious. Rarely do we talk about those who are happy with what they have, yet continue to strive for more whilst giving back. There is a difference between willful complacency and stagnation, and being self-aware and able to set those boundaries between contentment and want. It is often illustrated in media, religions, and in relationships as well that to be human is a detriment - people are to deny their emotions for they cannot be trusted and will thus lead to their demise.
I think the opposite is true. The only way to truly live is to feel and experience the things around you. To be curious, ask why, and to listen to the stories and lives of those who’ve come before. We are foreign to each other to the point where we forget that everything is interconnected. The political plights in Brazil affect climate change activists in California, and the daily happenings of other countries in turn affect each other. We have chosen to globalize our nations, but have forgotten why or how this occurred. It was not easy, and it was not fair. We rarely talk about the injustices committed and so they continue in the present moment. The past is estranged to our future, and both are strangers in our minds as we can only live in the present. This is where one of our issues lies today - our inability to see that it is all the same and should be discussed simultaneously. Once we begin to listen, see, and know the stories of others and to allow empathy and humanity to “get in” then we will start to coagulate all the versions of ourselves together into a force of understanding. One that can put the whole first, without sacrificing the individual.
The world does not need one Jeff Bezos or one Mark Zuckerberg, the world needs millions of people who care, who create things for a common human good (better sanitation, environmental protection, gender/sexual equality, education, vaccination, clean water, access to healthcare, bridging the technological divide, and creating sustainable farming), and who are committed to the idea of commUNITY.
All that to say, Butler’s commentary on the human condition through Lauren Olamina’s story made me think and evaluate on my own part in the world, and that is the best thing a novel can do. It is but a mirror through time with which to reflect and shine light on the darkest aspects we didn’t know needed to be shown. I hope you will read it too.
A lot of change is on the horizon for me, and I can’t wait to share it all with you. This journey is one of the biggest I’ve undertaken yet, and I’m excited to do that together - WITH you. If you ever want to chat or learn more or talk about things in the world, I’m here for you.
