10 Random Ideas That Might Get Ye
Let's face it. It's hot as hell, and not the fun hot.
At this point, you might feel oppressed and claustrophobic, exhausted by the stagnant heat.
Here are some random ideas to ponder on, act on, or do nothing with, and in no particular order of importance or significance.
Get obsessed with something that has nothing to do with what you do or are. For me, this is TACOS. Yes, I am determined to find more than one good taco in this sprawling city. And thanks for your help and locational advice.
Get connected to some think tank that does not think as you do. For me, it's Prager U. Now I have a hunch they are closer in tow with the folks on the far-right, but when they ask me to complete a survey, I am all in, especially when I can tell them what I think is important. Today, I told them they should spend more time coming up with practical ways for all of us to recycle, use less gas, water, and help animals. Doesn't everyone care about good old Mother Earth?
Pen Pals. I asked people on my FB page. Hey does anyone want to be my pen pal? And sure enough, now I have ten pals. It is so much fun to get something in the mail that is not asking me for money, or telling me how to think, what to worry about, or what to buy.
Find someone you really would like to know and set a biweekly coffee date somewhere that is easy for both of you to get to. Set a time limit on it, just so you can relax. You can offer to buy one week, and your friend can the next? This can be a general bullshit session with absolutely no agenda.
If you are a musician, dedicate $300 and go record with someone. You will learn so much and you will have another piece of your own legacy. I know that seems like a lot of money, but if you go to someone you admire, you can not put a price on a piece of you that is well captured.
Sit down with a date book and come up with four dinner parties. One for each approaching month, and in some zone that feels Covid-cool. Now think of two people per dinner party you would like to invite, and think about what you would ask them to bring. Make the invite as easy as possible. Make the effort to call someone. And make it a very easy date, not too late, not too long. This might be a good way to break any commitment phobia the pandemic might have fostered in you.
Make a list. This could be a bucket list for travel. It could be a list of people you would like to know better. Places you want to see. Books you want to read. Recipes you want to try. Shows you want to binge. Movies you would see in a theater. Cover songs you want to learn. People you want to hike with, bike with, go to church with, hang with, jam with. Get a book and fill it with these lists. When you are stuck, you can look at these dreams. Some will pass and not be acted upon. Others might open doors.
Admire someone else's creative work, and let them know. Really listen, really see, really show up. For no reason at all.
Throw stuff away. Donate. Purge. Get into it. Clean just one space.
And finally. I don't know why, but something the Queen said has oddly comforted me. I like this advice: "Don't complain. Don't explain. Don't overshare."
Nuff said.