This whole piece made me smile. Only because your ability to capture numerous irritations the way you do and put them to paper, and juxtapose them with how beautiful this place is, make the world softer.
I had my first and last massage last year. I felt so claustrophobic, and it was also more painful than I ever want to feel again.
Someone who feeds the birds in cold weather is a good person. I think you should give him grace for his human struggles in these difficult times. I’ll go first: you’ll get your writing done when you’re ready. You are completely capable. It clearly just isn’t time yet. I’m excited to read it when it’s ready.
I'm putting this on sticky note and putting it above my desk: "Be a force for good in your face-to-face interactions or, if that isn’t achievable, aim at least for righteous irritability in service to a better world!"
I get caught in sitting at my computer for too long and than I find my creativity leaking out the hard bottom of my chair. It's such a trap!! because I feel like I can't leave until the work is done, but the work is harder and harder to do, the longer I sit indoors at my screen.
Nov 21, 2022·edited Nov 21, 2022Liked by Chris La Tray
Lately, been feeling the epizooties myself, hence I bought this book, "Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention and How to Think Deeply Again" by Johann Hari.
Chris, the guy is your mental and emotional doppelgänger, his introduction and first chapter mirror yours in today's "The Truth Is".
I'm wanting out of this digital rabbit hole I fell into during the pandemic. I hope we all can find a way out. The information shit storm is literally stealing our lives.
I like what Doug Peacock has to say and wish I didn't have to force myself to take his wise advice.
"The best cure for the metaphysical Ikie Poos is to live consciously and seek out beauty every day."
Yes to all! And of course the irony that we write things like this on electronic media because goddammit it’s the equivalent of a pencil or a typewriter now and we cannot get our lives back....
Chris, I woke up this morning with some post-performance depression, and after reading your piece I felt MUCH better! I am dead center with you on that *&^% chat function. To quote one of my river buddies, "Ain't gonna happen." I started blogging here to get words out into the world and escape the attendant bullshit trailered along with most social media. I'm not going to *&^%$ing chat with anyone. And as soon as I get off the line here, I'm deleting that **&# Substack app from my phone. Just more little red numbers screaming for our attention. Now if I could just find it within myself to delete the phone ... Thank you.
"Information is not knowledge. Knowledge is not wisdom. Wisdom is not truth. Truth is not beauty. Beauty is not love. Love is not music. Music is THE BEST."
-- Frank Zappa
Thank you for everything, especially the music this morning. I stopped to listen to all of it.
Do you know "Turn off this song and go outside"? Also from KEXP
Oy! The "chat" thing is an app feature? I couldn't figure it out because it kept asking me to download a phone/iPad app and I don't use this stuff on my phone.
I'll miss some of Twitter, and I'm kind of riveted to the demise, but I waste way too much time there. I like Mastodon -- I'm on zirk.us which seems to be academics and creative folk -- but I also understand the folks who don't love it.
Ready for the death of the "genius billionaire" myth. Ready for the death of corporate consolidated media. We'll just all have to find one another however we can, and go outside for walks with all our new free time.
Love this from beginning to end, Chris -- intro included. I'm sitting down here at my computer for hopefully ten minutes, blasting through as much as I can get done before walking away for the day. (To tend to a sick child. To fill my feeders. To mend some jeans. To read.) I appreciate you.
Heilung is one of my favourite bands! I weeped listening to them numerous times. Thank you Chris, for sharing with so much honesty, vulnerability, and soft burning passion. Always on your side!
I also have a laundry rack and assembling it and figuring out how to fold it gave me senses of accomplishment beyond all reason. I'm listen to these bands soon. I like The Hu, a Mongolian metal band, for similar reasons.
It took me a couple weeks to read this, but I’m so glad I held onto it until I had the quiet of a Sunday afternoon to take it in. You are all of us (or at least me) in your hyperbole and irritation. I smiled throughout but also made space for the deeper themes you’re getting at. Thanks for including the scene with you in your car and the birds feasting. That was nice. Glad you had the small victory of the laundry rack. Please keep writing, even if it does feel like a sled full of skulls. I love your sled.
This whole piece made me smile. Only because your ability to capture numerous irritations the way you do and put them to paper, and juxtapose them with how beautiful this place is, make the world softer.
I had my first and last massage last year. I felt so claustrophobic, and it was also more painful than I ever want to feel again.
Someone who feeds the birds in cold weather is a good person. I think you should give him grace for his human struggles in these difficult times. I’ll go first: you’ll get your writing done when you’re ready. You are completely capable. It clearly just isn’t time yet. I’m excited to read it when it’s ready.
I'm putting this on sticky note and putting it above my desk: "Be a force for good in your face-to-face interactions or, if that isn’t achievable, aim at least for righteous irritability in service to a better world!"
I get caught in sitting at my computer for too long and than I find my creativity leaking out the hard bottom of my chair. It's such a trap!! because I feel like I can't leave until the work is done, but the work is harder and harder to do, the longer I sit indoors at my screen.
Lately, been feeling the epizooties myself, hence I bought this book, "Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention and How to Think Deeply Again" by Johann Hari.
Chris, the guy is your mental and emotional doppelgänger, his introduction and first chapter mirror yours in today's "The Truth Is".
I'm wanting out of this digital rabbit hole I fell into during the pandemic. I hope we all can find a way out. The information shit storm is literally stealing our lives.
I like what Doug Peacock has to say and wish I didn't have to force myself to take his wise advice.
"The best cure for the metaphysical Ikie Poos is to live consciously and seek out beauty every day."
Yes to all! And of course the irony that we write things like this on electronic media because goddammit it’s the equivalent of a pencil or a typewriter now and we cannot get our lives back....
Chris, I woke up this morning with some post-performance depression, and after reading your piece I felt MUCH better! I am dead center with you on that *&^% chat function. To quote one of my river buddies, "Ain't gonna happen." I started blogging here to get words out into the world and escape the attendant bullshit trailered along with most social media. I'm not going to *&^%$ing chat with anyone. And as soon as I get off the line here, I'm deleting that **&# Substack app from my phone. Just more little red numbers screaming for our attention. Now if I could just find it within myself to delete the phone ... Thank you.
"Information is not knowledge. Knowledge is not wisdom. Wisdom is not truth. Truth is not beauty. Beauty is not love. Love is not music. Music is THE BEST."
-- Frank Zappa
Thank you for everything, especially the music this morning. I stopped to listen to all of it.
Do you know "Turn off this song and go outside"? Also from KEXP
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4mkbVBInOU
In this irritable community of good hearts you've made possible, I know I am in good company.
The season of winter is right up there with THE BEST.
Hey Chris! Do you know the band HU? They're kind of fabulous as well: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jM8dCGIm6yc
Oy! The "chat" thing is an app feature? I couldn't figure it out because it kept asking me to download a phone/iPad app and I don't use this stuff on my phone.
I'll miss some of Twitter, and I'm kind of riveted to the demise, but I waste way too much time there. I like Mastodon -- I'm on zirk.us which seems to be academics and creative folk -- but I also understand the folks who don't love it.
Ready for the death of the "genius billionaire" myth. Ready for the death of corporate consolidated media. We'll just all have to find one another however we can, and go outside for walks with all our new free time.
Love this from beginning to end, Chris -- intro included. I'm sitting down here at my computer for hopefully ten minutes, blasting through as much as I can get done before walking away for the day. (To tend to a sick child. To fill my feeders. To mend some jeans. To read.) I appreciate you.
Rant on, baby. Rant on.
Heilung is one of my favourite bands! I weeped listening to them numerous times. Thank you Chris, for sharing with so much honesty, vulnerability, and soft burning passion. Always on your side!
I also have a laundry rack and assembling it and figuring out how to fold it gave me senses of accomplishment beyond all reason. I'm listen to these bands soon. I like The Hu, a Mongolian metal band, for similar reasons.
It took me a couple weeks to read this, but I’m so glad I held onto it until I had the quiet of a Sunday afternoon to take it in. You are all of us (or at least me) in your hyperbole and irritation. I smiled throughout but also made space for the deeper themes you’re getting at. Thanks for including the scene with you in your car and the birds feasting. That was nice. Glad you had the small victory of the laundry rack. Please keep writing, even if it does feel like a sled full of skulls. I love your sled.
This is glorious and exactly what I needed to today. Thank you. Literally typing this while “resting”on a spikey mat....
Another classic for my year of 'wonder.' Thank you so much. Lorelei
Thanks for turning me on to DakhaBrakha! Incredible music!!
Totally agree with the Johan Harari doppelgänger comment, too.
As always, keep doing what you’re doing, Chris!