Both Sides? IDK, Man.

As part of my work in non-profit and now philanthropic communications over the past 20 (girl!) years, I've learned how to message various ways. "Who's your audience?" is a cliché but reliable question to anyone coming to you for comms support. Part of learning how to message to those various audiences is to actually speak to those audiences which is something I've been focused on at work lately.

I was at conference this Spring and attended a workshop with StoryCorps. It was fantastic. Moving, even. We met and spoke to other people in the room, watched emotional examples of their work pairing people who wouldn't necessarily be in contact with each other find common ground and humanity. So great, right?

Now I'm in a course about bridging differences and, again, I'm being told how to meet in the middle. We're supposed to find the commonalities with people who disagree with us and there are the helpful obvious caveats like, you don't have to bridge with someone who thinks you and your identity should not exist. How to look at someone in a MAGA hat and ask myself first, does this person prefer broccoli or carrots before I make any judgements.

I'll admit some of the work about moving through conflict is great, especially for parenting small children #lolsob. But, more than anything, I'm left feeling like "oh, cool. I could talk to someone in an airport without arguing about my bodily autonomy if need be" but I don't feel poised to change much more than my interpersonal interactions. And that's, you know, cool, but...how do we (CW: non-profit speak) scale these strategies? Or, like, what if we didn't?

I guess my question is, why is it always our side doing the humanizing? Do you think that Putin or Netanyahu or McConnell are trying to find common ground with the people who disagree with them? I don't know how to say this and not have it sound messy but Jesus, do you just wish we could stop naval gazing and just do something without bringing everyone along for the ride?

Why does our Democratic nominee for president have to equivocate her way through funding genocide/creeping war into Lebanon and boast that she'd shoot an intruder to Oprah? I like it better when we're calling a spade a spade or a rapist a rapist or, fine, if we have to, a presidential nominee who's been convicted of federal crimes "weird." At least do something on the offense. I'm so fucking tired, friends.

Watching, Reading, Listening
Still loving English Teacher and very much enjoying the new season of Slow Horses. It's a wonderful thing to have a show be (so far) consistently great.
I listened to The Outrun on my way to Philadelphia and back a week ago and it was beautifully written. I learned a lot and enjoyed most of it but by the end I could not WAIT for observations about the Orkney Islands' natural splendor to wrap the fuck up. That may have to do with the fact I was stuck in traffic outside the Holland Tunnel for 30 minutes at the time. I'm still eager to see the movie and hopeful, as it's a visual medium, it won't beat me over the head with facts about astronomy, ornithology, and/or oceanography. I also read Wives Like Us which is simply an absolutely ridiculous book. It's 90% self-aware, which helps. Also, happily, I was able to read Ta-Nehisi's new book The Message and, yes, it is brilliant. Sorry to the haters! Please watch him respond masterfully and thoughtfully to the most outrageously framed questions on CBS Mornings. Finally, looking forward to reading Jessica's new book on abortion titled Abortion and you should, too.

Lifting
Very little benching, very little squatting, a lot of ennui

Ingesting
The best store-bought donuts in the world courtesy of Spencer when I was sick, very good Thai food in Philly, a mediocre steak frites at Montague Diner, great Szechuan from our usual, very good lomo saltado and fried corn from new discovery Mikhuy, a lot of candy. Also, I'm back on my porridge and stewed fruit bullshit and, honestly, it's fucking glorious and comforting as hell. Friendly reminder - it's caramel apple pop season!!! Nyquil, 50 mg Vyvanse; 30 mg Prozac; birth control.

Struggling
To stop interrupting people when they're speaking

Buying
Like, super trying not to? But definitely several autumn-themed puzzles.

Creating
Actually painted this past week! Is it good? No! Was it fun? Mostly!

Fixating
On getting back my reading momentum

Avoiding
Reading any polling information whatsoever

Reader, I Pinned It
Creative inspo; this ring; this very perfect and addictive snack; thank god for sweatah weathah, amirite?