Phetasy News - These Are Good Old The Days
Bridget reads Regret Being A Slut article, Dumpster Fire 97 - There Are Plurals In My Meatsuit, Walk-Ins Welcome 200th episode, Politically Homeless But Still Optimistic, Factory Settings Episode 3
Greetings from the Phetaverse!
"The brilliance of the stars would be invisible without the vast darkness of space behind them. Do not wish away the difficult portions of life. They provide the contrast needed to appreciate the joyful moments.”- James Clear
This week Cousin Maggie and I celebrated our 200th episode of Walk-Ins Welcome by sitting down and reflecting on how far we’ve come from “the days of soup and toast.” That’s what we call the days back in the mid-aughts when we were so poor all we could afford to eat was soup and toast. In fact, we went on the Master Cleanse (a diet where you just drink lemon water with molasses) for about two weeks — not to lose weight — but to save money on food. Although it was one of the crazier things I’ve ever done, it’s good to know I can live on lemon water and molasses for a long time in the apocalypse.
I’m not sure if it’s because I’m a content creator on the internet or because I’m an addict, but one of the feelings I have to constantly work against is an internal frustration that it’s never enough. The downloads aren’t enough. Not enough subscribers. Not enough money. Not enough space in my house. I haven’t lost enough weight. The loop that plays in my head without any intervention is that it’s not enough because I’m not enough.
The antidote to all of this is gratitude. It’s taking time to reflect on how far we’ve come. It’s realizing that I have everything I need and more. We look back and laugh hysterically at how delusional we were about our life and business while we were sleeping on blow up mattresses and drinking lemon water. The days of soup and toast were the good old days. As are these days where I’m struggling to get the baby down so I can write for thirty minutes. I’m sitting in a room that currently functions as an office, a baby’s playroom or a gym—depending on what time of day it is. And this is beautiful.
Yes, the punishing YouTube algorithm that seems determined to throttle us is frustrating. But I’m paying my bills doing what I love. There was a time when that was a pipe dream. Most importantly, my loved ones are healthy. My daughter is healthy. What more could I possibly want?
Thumbnail artwork by Lara Cullen.
Email laracullenstudio@gmail.com to inquire or contact her.