Captivations is a monthly feature with links, stories, and news that captivated me.
New Art
Our city got a new permanent art piece! ‘Austin’ is the newest and last Ellsworth Kelly piece (above) and is at the Blanton Museum of Art. The building has colored glass windows that reflect differently throughout the day. Inside the museum building is a temporary exhibit sharing more about the piece’s concept and inspiration.
Class Differences
I had never thought about class differences with my parents until I read this post. My biggest concern is how we can raise kids who aren’t spoiled and work hard.
First 3D-Printed House
The first 3D-printed house was made in less than 24hrs in Austin this month! Two organizations want to bring this tech and concept to countries like Haiti and El Salvador. Currently, the 800-sq-ft house costs $10,000 each but they’re working to get it to $4,000. I’m interested to see how this pans out and am hopeful that this will be a good solution for affordable and sturdy housing.
Girl Power Books for Kids
I’ve got a handful of mama friends with baby girls, and these kids books are SO GOOD! Speaking of books, I love that the non-profit We Need Diverse Books is promoting children’s books featuring diversity!
#HereWeAre
Twitter released this ad during the Oscars and it’s getting cheers from women. Some people may be wondering why all this girl power is such a big deal. It is a movement towards an equal society where no matter your gender, you are allowed and encouraged to do and dream bigger things.
Barbie Dolls of Historic Ladies
Mattel released new dolls for their ‘Inspiring Women’ series that includes Frida Kahlo, Katherine Johnson, and Amelia Earhart. Their Shero line will feature 14 modern-day role models like Olympian and skateboarder Chloe Kim and ballerina Misty Copeland.
Gun Laws Around the World
Very interesting look at what is required to get guns around the world. Also, March for Our Lives happened this month. It’s a very emotional and powerful subject. I have no problem with guns. I’ve shot guns at a gun range, even an automatic. I don’t have a strong desire to own a gun, so I can’t speak to that side, but I do know that human lives are valuable and some kind of change needs to happen to ensure no more lives are lost.
Viral Breastfeeding Ad
A Gap ad featuring a woman breastfeeding her child went viral and people had lots to say about it. Here’s one opinion.
Turning 30
Blogger Jessica Lawlor turned 30 recently and I contributed to her blog post featuring 30 women talking about turning 30. Take a look here!
Headless Women of Hollywood
This is an interesting project. A woman gathers movie and TV posters with headless women to show the prevalence of objectifying a woman’s body.
Love Letters to Trees
Back in 2015, the city of Melbourne assigned email addresses to trees so that residents could send maintenance requests. Instead, there were inboxes full of love letters to the trees. Some examples here.
Four Keys to Building a Love that Lasts
I don’t have the experience myself but from observations, I know marriage is hard. I liked this article that lists four things you need for a love that lasts. I’m beginning to accept the reality that there is no list, tip, or ability to predict the success of a marriage, and I hope one day I’ll be ok with that. Related, I wrote this post about what I’ve learned about love and relationships.
Vietnamese Refugees
8,600 Vietnamese nationals are currently subject to a final deportation order. Some came to the U.S. as refugee children. You’re privileged if you’re on the right side.
Everyone is going through something
Humans are complicated. Even if everything in our life is going well, there is something you could worry about. We have pasts, failures, and emotions. What life continues to teach me is that it’s ok to talk about them and it doesn’t make you less of a person. You may know Kevin Love by his accomplishments as an NBA player, but in this post, he’s a guy who’s reminding you that it’s ok to talk about things.
Now Listening: Music
- Seeing Blind by Niall Horan and Maren Morris
- A Drop in the Ocean by Ron Pope
- So Insane by Discovery
- Easy by Dragonette
- The Night We Met by Lord Huron
- Space Cowboy by Kacey Musgraves
- Infatuation by Maroon 5
- Wait by Maroon 5
- The Gold by Manchester Orchestra
Something kind of crazy
After three-plus months going through the quick and easy process, I am now on the bone marrow registry. That means I could be called if a patient matches with me. I heard about bone marrow donation through GQ Trippin’s donation experience, and I thought, what if there’s someone waiting for my bone marrow and what if I need bone marrow one day? Here’s a little more info:
- A bone marrow transplant can help save the life of someone with leukemia, lymphoma, bone marrow diseases, immune system diseases, and more.
- Ethnic background is a big part of finding a match, and Asians have a 72% likelihood of finding a match.
- If I am matched, I’ll go through a check-up to confirm I’m able to donate.
- Depending on what the patient needs, I would be donating marrow (surgical procedure) or peripheral blood stem cells (non-surgical procedure).
- If I can donate, the time commitment is 20-30 hours over 4-6 weeks.
- My medical expenses would be paid for by the organization.
- Anyone between 18 to 60 is encouraged to register.
- I’ll be on the registry until I turn 61 and the call could come anytime or never.
I get woozy from getting shots, so I try not to think about the extent of what this would involve too much. Of course, there is always the opportunity to decline to go through with it if I am matched. I know it is a big and scary endeavor, but if I’m healthy and able, I’d be humbled to give someone another chance at a long, fulfilling life.
What’s captivating you lately?
P.S. Where am I right now? I’m probably telling you all about it on Instagram! 😉
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