Captivations is a monthly feature with links, stories, and news that captivated me.
Things I Loved in June
- Seeing Hamilton! It is the best musical I’ve ever seen and I’ve been listening to the soundtrack non-stop since. We loved it!
- A work project we’ve been working on for more than a year and a half finally launched!
- The planting party I hosted at Succulent Native
- Celebrating my fiancé’s birthday with good food, good friends, and the lake
Free Speech Goes Both Ways
In the U.S., everyone gets a voice, no matter what you believe in. Even if you don’t believe what someone believes in, they have the right to it. While you might take it personally if someone’s beliefs differ, it’s healthy to find a way to agree to disagree and not hate each other. Any tips to do this?
Letting Go of Control
Perfection, fear, vulnerability, shame. These are some of the things I remember when I get stressed out. You have to accept that you can’t control everything and learn to re-wire your mind to be ok with it. Here’s an article to help.
Code-switching
Code-switching is the term used for moving across different social groups to find common ground. This article about the Netflix movie Always Be My Maybe (contains spoilers) notes examples in the movie, including featuring food people would actually eat. They describe it as being unapologetically authentic to be able to show food some people might not be familiar with but is very important to the culture.
Free Our Seeds
Today, four giant companies control 60% of the world’s seeds. This New York Times article by one of my favorite thinker-doers of our time – Chef Dan Barber – poses some thought-provoking questions. What happens when our seeds become more and more similar? What happens when we genetically modify seeds to become a power crop? I think what we eat and the future of our food depends a lot on these answers. The article is a great primer if you’re interested in learning more about our food system!
Some Advice
Sometimes the best thing to provide a grieving friend is a listening ear and not a solution or an anecdote. This quick article describes it well.
Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Sexism
Why do critics and watchers of the show The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel always ask where the kids are and question her parenting skills as she is trying to launch her career as a comedian? Sexism.
Smash the Wellness Industry
This New York Times article has been virally floating around the internet this month. Is the wellness industry actually the diet industry? I read this and thought of all the ways media tells women to change, from what they eat to what they wear. It’s a good read and enlightening way to think about how this applies to your life.
What are blogs good for?
I think about quitting my blog sometimes. It’s a labor of love that requires a lot of time and energy with little payback other than a self high-five. But this post reminded me why I’m still here. This blog is something I’m committed to and love, no matter how much work and stress it can be. It has given me so much, most importantly, a place I call my own.
Celebrate the Life Milestones
This Q&A asks why we don’t celebrate big life moments like graduating from graduate school or adopting a new dog with the same fanfare as getting married. It’s a good reminder to celebrate the things that matter to others and to celebrate the moments even if they seem like little ones.
Heartbreak
The photo haunts me because it matters to me. This opinion piece from The Dallas Morning News explains it. This plea from Preemptive Love Coalition begs for it. It is a heavy subject that seems to have no easy solutions but I don’t think looking away and hoping struggling countries will fix them on their own is the best solution. To help, we can donate to organizations that are on the frontlines of providing aid, keep politicians accountable, and vote for politicians that care enough to act.
The Cure for FOMO
I liked this post on Camille Styles about how to conquer FOMO (fear of missing out). It’s a freeing realization that the illusion of happiness, projected by our own daydreams or what we post on social media, is not what matters most in life. You won’t do it all, but you can certainly love everything you do.
What’s got you captivated lately?
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