March 2025
Slow Down, You Move Too Fast
When faced with a never-ending stream of executive orders and a firehose of news, much of it bad, it’s important to take a break. Step aside. Take a beat. Peel your shoulders from your ears. Take at least three long, deep breaths. Check in with yourself. This simple routine can feel both impossible and necessary.
But we’re at the start of a marathon. It’s crucial to consider how you, how we, are going to get through this.
It’s not going to be easy.
Things will get better, but they will likely get worse first.
I believe it’s time to lean into dark scenarios. As a friend told me, when you’re in the dark, it’s easy to spot the light.
At the inaugural Doodle and Noodle meet-up last month, we waded into some of the darkness. Specifically, we discussed the incident in Coeur D’Alene, Idaho where Dr. Teresa Borrenpohl was forcibly dragged out of a town hall meeting. Onlookers sat there watching the violent scene play out, often observing through their phone screens. We talked about this awful situation in the context of learned helpfulness, a concept from Jane McGonigal’s future-forward book, Imaginable.
By imagining, instead of denying, difficult scenarios, we can rehearse our way out of them. We won’t freeze like a deer in the headlights if/when we encounter those situations.
We need to think about ways we might help in difficult times and socially awkward situations. We need to imagine and train ourselves to react.
Learned helpfulness.
This will mean different things to different people. A neighbor and I were talking about emergency preparations. (I’m soooo fun at parties!) After a bit of back and forth, I was confused about some of her plans. Eventually, we realized we were planning for different types of emergencies. It was an honest mix-up. After all, there’s a lot that could go wrong.
But the next time your mind starts spiraling, slow down, take stock, breathe, and start planning. Think about what you can control. “If action A happens, then I will react by doing B.”
Or, “I’m worried that X will happen, but here are three actions I can take to prevent it.” (And then do those things.)
I get that this is all easier said than done. It’s all practice. Slow down, breathe, be gentle with yourself, and don’t give up.
The future needs you.
The next W.O.W. Doodle and Noodle session is this Sunday from 11-1 at Soul Good Coffee/Sketchbook Skokie. There’s a project involved and it’s all hands on deck, so this meet-up is open to everyone. And it’s free! (As long as you bring your own rock.)
Let’s Eat Cookies and Talk About Death:
Stories of Life and Love
It’s almost time! There will be tickets available at the door for Let Eat Cookies and Talk About Death’s first-ever storytelling show.
Join us for yummy cookies from Curt’s Cafe, a spot of tea or lemonade, beautiful stories that will remind you of the beauty and pain of this life, and a chance to talk with the incredible sponsors who are making the evening possible.
Presenting Sponsor: Mike Dyer, CRPC, Edward Jones Financial Advisor
And supporting sponsors:
Brooke Benjamin, Funeral Director, Celebrant, and Co-owner of Inclusive Funeral Care
Philip Flores Jr, Founder of Cremation by Water
Gayle Brandeis, Co-owner of Secret World Books
As I mentioned, you can buy tickets at the door or buy them ahead of time and save me a lot of anxiety.
Did I mention the cookies?
What can I say about last month’s Hot Flashes & Fierce Tales Show?
Our friends at Secret World Books called it “a glorious night of honest, hilarious, wrenching, moving, necessary stories about midlife and beyond...Always a night of connection and celebration!”
One of the attendees email me this lovely note. This is the dream, y’all!
In other storytelling news, on May 7, I’m hosting a seasonal special, Mother’s Day, But Make It Weird. This will be an evening of hilarious, awkward, and slightly uncomfortable stories about motherhood. It will be held at Cafe 44. I have two storyteller spots available. I encourage BIPOC and/or LGBTQ+ folks to apply. Submit your story idea here or click to buy your ticket.
I’ll be telling stories on two stages in April. First up is Tuesday Funk on April 1 at Hopleaf in Andersonville.
I’ll also be part of the opening for Evanston’s 2025 The Old Lady Project, an initiative to encourage the development of screenplays, scripts, and theatrical works with significant roles for women over 55.
Helpful Resources
Last month, I asked you for some online resources you find helpful. You suggested I check out Jessica Yellin and Lisa at Main and Vine.
Other ways to take action:
Indivisible is calling for mass protests on April 5. It sounds like there is likely to be one in Chicago. I’ve heard chatter about a desire for a north suburban one in Glenview, Skokie, Evanston, or Wilmette. Drop me a note if you hear about official plans.
Until Next Time...
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