Another journal

It is wild that I shy away from saying things to friends like “I hope you’ve been doing well.” Something about it feels like a curse and also a faux pas–we all know none of us are well.

“How’s it going?” also feels like too heavy a lift to lob to a pal–doing bad probably, I know, me too!

It’s not as though the lot of us don’t talk about our feelings, or share emotional burdens, but when you’re just trying to check in beyond the lovely lazy river of texting memes you need a water cooler casualness that lets someone steer the tone of the conversation.

I know I don’t much want to answer a general inquiry to how the days have been, so I try not to give them to others. I care, honestly and fully, more about what small fun thing somebody has found. Like, I know I’m crossing streams with my newsletter here, but fuck me it really is just the small things that keep us going, isn’t it?

This is why weather talk is so vital. Yes, it is great with strangers because we can like, test the conversational waters, do casual vibe checks while discussing what the sun and the clouds are doing. But it’s also really nice with those you love and talk to all the time. You know i have friends who fucking LOVE getting rained on, bless them, the freaks. And since everybody is scattered all over it is wild to learn who is having a bit of heat, where it snowed, who has air so clear after a storm that they can count every radio tower on the mountain without squinting.

And then, you know, chatting about how wet it’s been can be a gauge to see: ah yeah let’s talk about The Horrors, or The Joys in detail, we’re both up for it.

But honestly and fully I just often want to know: How’s the weather been? (as we went to bed the other night there was like a solid 30 second roll of thunder it was amazing) Have you seen a good animal lately? (it’s been too cold for crickets but there is one in our wall who thinks its spring because of the warmth seeping through and it sings all night) Have you seen this video of the cows being grateful for dirt? (yeah, me too but I will always watch it again)