I’ve been writing on paper the past couple weeks. So this one will probably be a sort of hodgepodge of random stuff collected from my journal
I’ve been trying to read more, through my Libby app- it’s fascinating how the more I’ve “leaned in” to my ADHD symptoms, the more I’m able to multitask, like listening to something while doing art, writing, doing work. I used to listen to podcasts in my first job, me and another girl listened to the same one through the morning. Forget the name of it now, but we would discuss the episode during lunch. So that ability has come back, and I’ve been trying to consume more books, podcasts, and music during my days. The music, and occasional dancing, has also made my days much more livable. Current podcast I am on is Project Canary’s “Disconnected: Why some of us have our eyes wide open, while others keep them closed.” It’s incredibly insightful. One of them is a clinical psychologist, talking about public health, and it has definitely reminded me that I should wear my mask again when I go out. I wish more people were into public health the same way. She also has a lot of good stuff to say about narcissism in society and the Milgram study.
I’ve been thinking about making a list of books I’ve read. OR I just had a stroke of genius actually, I’ll make a pull down section on one of my pages to add my goodreads account and what’s on my current reading list! I’m trying to put together a book club at work, a lot of people expressed interest. I’m excited, but I also really wish more people were into art. But book idea is definitely good – I recently finished reading The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander and almost done with The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins. While I agree a lot with Dawkins point of view, getting religious people to come around to the idea that god could be man-made is a far-flung hope. I watched a CBS documentary the other day, An (Un)civil War: the evangelical divide. Couldn’t even imagine the evangelical pastors on the documentary accepting that satanists aren’t necessarily “bad.” One thing that came to mind while thinking about both of these books, is that they both conclude that dehumanising someone else by labeling them as inherently “bad” or “evil” is not conducive to societal peace. Imprisonment and execution for committing a crime in the eyes of a racially biased set of laws isn’t going to help us at the end of the day, just as it isn’t going to help us to dehumanise groups of people based on their religion- leading to genocides. Dawkins makes a stronger argument that just having religion at all is dangerous, as religion is dehumanising at its core- most religions claim to be “the one true way” while dismissing those who don’t believe that religion as illegitimate. I do think everyone would need to ascribe to some degree of humanism before we can do away with killing each other though. And I do think more people are turning towards humanism now. Whether they can do that while also holding onto core tenants of their religion, I don’t know. Is a just world one in which there is no extremism? No homicidal, violent ideology? Why does this continue to exist if it doesn’t play a beneficial role in society?
I pulled a tarot card yesterday, just to see what resonated with me, what I could take from it. It was the High Priestess. Inspiration, intuition, and secrets. Well, I have been feeling inspired with my proposal for LSHTM. I have been leaning into my intuition more and trusting myself. Secrets? Not sure that one fits. I am afraid that my ideas are just too over the top and unachievable, but that isn’t a secret. I like that the High Priestess is “of learning and wisdom,” I can get with that. It was upside down though, so the reversed meaning given is to be careful not to self-isolate and become selfish. I haven’t self-isolated more than usual lately, although the pandemic in general has taught me to be a homebody. Which I see as helpful in a way? I’m not the social butterfly I used to be, and I often crave that, but I enjoy my time alone to regroup. To read, paint, think, process. I filled my free time with hobbies and now have too many.
**Tarot cards and book is called “Cats Rule the Earth Tarot” by Thiago Correa and Catherine Davidson zΩ¸Z. ZA