tomorrow i turn 26
26 thoughts before i turn 26:
- i like aging. too often aging bodies are looked down upon. but im oh so happy with the physical evidence i have of a life well-lived. my hips are a bit wider, my stomach is pouchier, and i have a few thoughtful forehead wrinkles coming in. no worries here.
- i really do grab life by the balls. in two weeks i start my yoga certification course. in a few months i'll fully switch my career. i have travel plans to amsterdam in april and lisbon in may. i have one master's degree today and will have two in a year. anything i've wanted, i've made happen.
- community is built, not found. dinner parties must be planned, volunteering opportunities sought out, and i can't expect others to check in with me if i've never checked in on them.
- hobbies are my happiness! i've found so much joy in cooking. i love to read. i'm consistently inconsistent with writing. i can't wait to dabble in new things and get better at those i know.
- history repeats. the pendulum swings. ICE looks awfully similar to slave hunters. Trump may be the worst president, but let's not forget Andrew Jackson. things will get worse, but they will also get better.
- hope is local. in the community garden. in picking up litter on the sidewalk. in learning the history of the buildings around me. in giving meals to the community kitchen and books to the little library.
- we only have one earth. so i will continue to compost and try mending my clothes and shop facebook marketplace and buy local. i'll reduce first, reuse second, and recycle when the first two aren't possible. i love the trees and birds and oceans and mountains and the magic found in the sunrise and the serenity in the stars. i will do all i can to enjoy, treasure, and care for the immense beauty we have.
- the only guarantees are death and taxes, but thankfully death only happens once.
- i will continue to involve myself in local politics and push for change around me before i get frustrated with it not happening globally.
- art is resistance. the benito bowl was so rich and gorgeous. i will continue to listen and look and feel.
- i want no parts of generative AI and pray the bubble pops and the billionaires have all assets frozen and redistributed to we-the-people.
- after a very turbulent relationship with my parents, it's nice to settle into some sort of normalcy and respect. though our relationship won't ever be perfect, i'm extraordinarily grateful for the improvements.
- that 26 is very long. because i could only think of 13 things.