Your next article in this vein could be on the climate anxiety we all have now. The quiet despair as we watch politicians continue to do nothing; continue to think short term While the parents look at their kids from across the room and whisper to each other, « what have we done, bringing him into this? »
I know people always say this, but thanks for writing what you do. I really do appreciate it and I'm so glad one of my friends introduced me to your Sub. I'm glad to be here. Also, on the above: "...Oppression produces a quiet that sounds like peace from a distance." so much truth.
I don’t know if you were ever a Joss Whedpn fan, and I know he’s turned out to be so disappointingly problematic but this essay reminded me of the Serenity theme song, which is such a lament and an attempt to keep something hopeful after almost total loss:
“Take my love.
Take my land.
Take me where I cannot stand.
I don’t care.
I’m still free.
They can’t take the sky from me.”
As I read this I thought, they’ve taken that too. And I had to just sit here and bawl.
I never watched Serenity but I should have because I think I would have really loved it. And yes, Whedon has been such a disappointment, huh? That bit of the song is like a little bit of poetry. Thanks so much for sharing it here. I am so sorry this all felt so overwhelming today. I really do have good hope a lot of the time. But I just sit here and bawl a lot of the time too. (We can cry together.)
I don't know when it was that I realized that my worst fears were overtaking my strongest hopes, but I've been struggling really hard ever since. I still have faith, yes, but my anxiety sometimes feels more like desperation when I think about what my family--and everybody's family--will have to face in the future if things don't change drastically. There are bright spots though, and many people who do care and are making a difference. You are one of those shining stars, and I'm grateful for you.
Roxy, this is so kind. Thank you. For me personally, once I decided the world is ending (and always has been), I started to feel...weirdly better? it's always been ending and it's always needing to begin again. I want to help with the beginning bits, the best way I can. And protect as many people from the ending bits, the best way I can. And ultimately, I'll be able to do very little! But I don't know. That little is in my control. So I'll focus on that. And hope love gets me (and us all) through the rest. I am so glad you are here.
To me this feels so real--the thrum of low panic, the recognition of connection across distances, the need to be underground, the way that smoke finds us, the way that people find us. I love how your threads return, sewing in and out of what seem like simple observations but are MEG observations--and become something so much more vivid. 💜
Freya, THANK YOU. I do wish we could all just live in the shire, in little hobbit holes, with well-stocked pantries. And! The "thrum of low panic" that's exactly how it feels! That's the perfect phrase! It kind of reminds of Tolkien's drums in the deep.
I wonder what “underground” feels like and it just hit me that maybe THIS is our underground, communicating like this just under the surface, maybe more and more analog again as they chase our digital paths... physically, the world burns above ground ... the relationships are here, underground. I clearly need to think more but this is the amorphous cloud now in my noggin...
I continue to love your writing, Meg: artistic + moving + about urgent modern issues. Thank you for this. (Also, you speak of us being a community: I had been wondering where you were and if everything was ok in your world because I felt like you hadn’t written in awhile! Not in an upset way but in a wondering about a friend way. Internet connections are pretty amazing).
Ah! this made me feel so loved! I've been doing what one person in this community described as "deep work." A big research project for the next newsletter. I talked about it a little bit in last week's podcast. The project, but also how worried I get about researching instead of writing. I need to learn how to do both! I'd love to know how you balance deep work and writing. I need help figuring it out! I always so respect your thoughts on *the work* of living and thinking and all the rest!
Love that! Oops, I only started the podcast but meant to finish it because I wanted to know about the ghost 😂
I admire your deep work and research abilities! I think that because of my day job (as a therapist) it both prevents me from spending too much time on writing -- I have to be pretty intentional with fitting it into my schedule, and I actually work best under very specific time pressures instead of open-ended. And I think like all writers, I do a lot of writing in my head and try to come to the paper (errr...screen) with a direction I want to go. And I guess, taking things bite-sized? I'll chunk topics into multiple weeks if I find myself wanting to go on multiple tangents, which ends up being helpful for my mental organization too.
Looking forward to seeing the fruit of your research! :)
Thank you for this - just a beautiful and moving essay. So many things are being burnt to the ground, both physically - forests, homes - and metaphorically - Twitter, Reddit - all in the name of economic gain.
Thank you for continuing to write and build community.
Oh Meg, this piece was breathtaking as always. The way you write about your children and being a mother makes motherhood in this world feel possible to me.
Sorry everyone, comments were off! But they're back!
Your next article in this vein could be on the climate anxiety we all have now. The quiet despair as we watch politicians continue to do nothing; continue to think short term While the parents look at their kids from across the room and whisper to each other, « what have we done, bringing him into this? »
So much anxiety about climate change and everything else, right?! I am going to think on your suggestion for a little while. It's a great one. This piece from last summer deals with a few of the themes you're suggesting, but it's not just about climate change! It'd be interesting to do one that is more focused on climate issues, specifically. https://homeculture.substack.com/p/what-happens-to-the-people-who-survive?utm_source=%2Fsearch%2Fthe%2520end%2520of%2520the%2520world&utm_medium=reader2
I know people always say this, but thanks for writing what you do. I really do appreciate it and I'm so glad one of my friends introduced me to your Sub. I'm glad to be here. Also, on the above: "...Oppression produces a quiet that sounds like peace from a distance." so much truth.
I don’t know if you were ever a Joss Whedpn fan, and I know he’s turned out to be so disappointingly problematic but this essay reminded me of the Serenity theme song, which is such a lament and an attempt to keep something hopeful after almost total loss:
“Take my love.
Take my land.
Take me where I cannot stand.
I don’t care.
I’m still free.
They can’t take the sky from me.”
As I read this I thought, they’ve taken that too. And I had to just sit here and bawl.
Sorry this comment is not more uplifting.
I never watched Serenity but I should have because I think I would have really loved it. And yes, Whedon has been such a disappointment, huh? That bit of the song is like a little bit of poetry. Thanks so much for sharing it here. I am so sorry this all felt so overwhelming today. I really do have good hope a lot of the time. But I just sit here and bawl a lot of the time too. (We can cry together.)
I don't know when it was that I realized that my worst fears were overtaking my strongest hopes, but I've been struggling really hard ever since. I still have faith, yes, but my anxiety sometimes feels more like desperation when I think about what my family--and everybody's family--will have to face in the future if things don't change drastically. There are bright spots though, and many people who do care and are making a difference. You are one of those shining stars, and I'm grateful for you.
Roxy, this is so kind. Thank you. For me personally, once I decided the world is ending (and always has been), I started to feel...weirdly better? it's always been ending and it's always needing to begin again. I want to help with the beginning bits, the best way I can. And protect as many people from the ending bits, the best way I can. And ultimately, I'll be able to do very little! But I don't know. That little is in my control. So I'll focus on that. And hope love gets me (and us all) through the rest. I am so glad you are here.
To me this feels so real--the thrum of low panic, the recognition of connection across distances, the need to be underground, the way that smoke finds us, the way that people find us. I love how your threads return, sewing in and out of what seem like simple observations but are MEG observations--and become something so much more vivid. 💜
Freya, THANK YOU. I do wish we could all just live in the shire, in little hobbit holes, with well-stocked pantries. And! The "thrum of low panic" that's exactly how it feels! That's the perfect phrase! It kind of reminds of Tolkien's drums in the deep.
I'm so with you on dreams of the shire. I'll have second breakfast ready. :)
I wonder what “underground” feels like and it just hit me that maybe THIS is our underground, communicating like this just under the surface, maybe more and more analog again as they chase our digital paths... physically, the world burns above ground ... the relationships are here, underground. I clearly need to think more but this is the amorphous cloud now in my noggin...
I continue to love your writing, Meg: artistic + moving + about urgent modern issues. Thank you for this. (Also, you speak of us being a community: I had been wondering where you were and if everything was ok in your world because I felt like you hadn’t written in awhile! Not in an upset way but in a wondering about a friend way. Internet connections are pretty amazing).
Ah! this made me feel so loved! I've been doing what one person in this community described as "deep work." A big research project for the next newsletter. I talked about it a little bit in last week's podcast. The project, but also how worried I get about researching instead of writing. I need to learn how to do both! I'd love to know how you balance deep work and writing. I need help figuring it out! I always so respect your thoughts on *the work* of living and thinking and all the rest!
Love that! Oops, I only started the podcast but meant to finish it because I wanted to know about the ghost 😂
I admire your deep work and research abilities! I think that because of my day job (as a therapist) it both prevents me from spending too much time on writing -- I have to be pretty intentional with fitting it into my schedule, and I actually work best under very specific time pressures instead of open-ended. And I think like all writers, I do a lot of writing in my head and try to come to the paper (errr...screen) with a direction I want to go. And I guess, taking things bite-sized? I'll chunk topics into multiple weeks if I find myself wanting to go on multiple tangents, which ends up being helpful for my mental organization too.
Looking forward to seeing the fruit of your research! :)
Thank you for this - just a beautiful and moving essay. So many things are being burnt to the ground, both physically - forests, homes - and metaphorically - Twitter, Reddit - all in the name of economic gain.
Thank you for continuing to write and build community.
Oh Meg, this piece was breathtaking as always. The way you write about your children and being a mother makes motherhood in this world feel possible to me.
I am forever in need of writing that makes me feel not-crazy for noticing that the empires are crumbling. Thank you so much for this incredible piece.