The title is a bad attempt to get some kind of routine to this possibly routine of Sunday posts. Throughout the week I’ve jotted down up to ten potential topics I thought I might elaborate on here when I find the time (aka today). Knowing me this post will include two of those topics at the most and a lot of random rambling.
On Friday evening I took Twitter and Instagram off my phone – just for the day yesterday, both apps back on again – but I felt like I needed a tiny digital detox. And because I lack impulse control a digital detox was easiest achieved by not having the apps available. I was still on my phone more than I had planned. A bit on the Frank Turner Army Facebook group and a lot of WhatsApp, but the latter was at least with people I know.
When the weather forecast earlier in the week predicted a heatwave (or a super hot day anyway) for Saturday I knew I had or rather wanted to get away from it. This year so far I also didn’t spent as much time by the sea this year as I had liked. So I made plans and preparations and yesterday morning got in my car rather early and drove about 3 hours to the coast in the Netherlands.
All in all everything went fine, even though I’ll be glad that my next trip to the sea in early September will be to a then hopefully less busy place.
For the sea to properly work it’s calming soothing magic on me, the beach needs to have less people on it or at least give me enough space to be on my own with my own thoughts. Or no thoughts at all. But I’m still glad that I went and enjoyed the sun and the view and sound of the sea for a few hours.
On the drive there and back I listened to a variety of podcasts episodes on among other things the war in Gaza/Israel, a few on mindfulness / mental health topics, an interview with Grace Petrie and two more podcasts interviewing Frank Turner. I think I might be all “frank-ed out” for a while, because it’s been similar / same questions over and over and of course he answers those with the same answers and anecdotes. I feel by now I could do that part of the job for him 🙂
In regards to podcasts I’m still looking for more podcasts to catch my interest and which I might listen to on a regular basis. Women’s voices please, because men have been given the podium without question for thousands of years already and I’m honestly not all that interested in what they have to say anymore. Yes, #notallmen, but in podcasting still too many for my taste.
My list of the ten topics include the current debate on cancel culture in Germany. My changed perspective on the peace movement and arms manufacturers. Getting caught in the rain / drizzle way too many time this week. I can’t really be bothered to elaborate on either now to be honest.
Let’s end this with talking about books. I gave up on reading “Huckleberry Finn” about one third in after all. I just couldn’t take more of the meandering narrator’s voice and language. I know, it’s considered a masterpiece of literature for the use of the latter alone, but it’s been getting on my nerves. For a while I thought I’d try to live through the discomfort of it, because reading isn’t always supposed to be comfortable and easy and all. But I had to called it quits. I still will read “James” though I think, but possibly not any time soon. I also aborted another novel which I had high hopes for – “The Hundred Loves of Juliet” – but I didn’t like the writing and the plot was not what I had expected and again: I tried it for a while, but in the end decided against it. The novel I picked up instead seems to live up to my high expectations, though the plot also is a bit different than I had expected, but in a good way. I’ve read about one third of the book so far: “Cassandra in Reverse”.
I’ve sold another batch of my “never to read (again)” books and what did I do with the meagre proceeds? I used the 20% bonus on the sum to buy new (used) books again, of course. I did mention my lack of impulse control at the start of this post, right? It’s not just the lack of impulse control, I guess, but also the dopamine rush I get from ordering new books and the anticipation of the wonderful stories and/or insight I will get from reading them. There are worse “bad” habits to have, right?
