I’m behind on Halfhaven and I want to get a post out today, so I am once again just gonna jot down some thoughts as they occur to me.
I actually have some ideas for topics to write about, but I’m not feeling driven to write the posts in full tonight. For instance: my initial foray into cooking professionally; the app I made to turn prose into song lyrics; and some reflections on privacy, since I’ve been posting pretty vulnerably lately.
Some of my thoughts here may also turn out to seed longer posts later, who knows?
I’ve lost 40 pounds since I started taking tirzepatide in January! That’s pretty crazy. Friends have commented on the noticeable change in my look.
The US government is crossing red lines. For instance, building concentration camps, suppressing political speech, and ramping up to use military force against protests. I don’t know what to do about this, but it at least bears mentioning. I went to a Holocaust museum today, and “Never Again” is ringing in my mind. I hope things don’t come to that, and I hope if they do I have the courage and capability to do something about it.
It feels hard for any thought to follow that one here, but life must go on despite the world’s problems. My grandmother just turned 90! That’s cause to celebrate, and that’s what we’re doing. It’s nice seeing my more distant family for the occasion.
It’s really interesting how music can set an emotional tone in the background. I’ve always liked having a soundtrack for life. My Everyday Shuffle playlist has a wide range of moods, and I often find myself skipping around to find a song that hits just right.
I’m gonna participate in a CFAR workshop in November, thanks to a friend’s recommendation. That’s pretty exciting! I wonder what I’ll learn.
Something I’ve been thinking about for a while and still haven’t settled on a good balance for: remembering things vs recording things. I have a good memory, and if I remember something, it feels accessible, whereas a record may simply sit around doing nothing. On the other hand, I have hit the limits of memory; records are more reliably durable. The ideal scenario would be to have records of everything AND remember the most important/frequently-used things. However, creating records costs time and effort, where internal memory is basically free. I reference this clip decently often. Trying to just remember things is more fun, but less effective in the long-run. But also, it’s nice to be able to just pull up a memory instead of digging for a record. Like I said, still figuring this one out.
I want more close friends in Berkeley / the Bay Area. I’ve seen people complain about the shallowness of the culture, but I think that’s just a skill issue, and I’ll develop close friends with time. I want friends whose homes I can casually drop by and whom I can go to for support in hard times, and who expect the same of me.
A lot of people have grand ambitions and stress about them. I think it’s so important to have fun, and I want to help others have fun too. Our lives are blinks in the history of the universe, and our legacies not so different. Let’s have a good time of it! That said, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized the fun that’s possible in doing ambitious things. Just make sure it’s for the right reasons! I’ll repeat here what’s become my motto: love people and do what makes you happy.
Alright, that’s a wrap for today. Let’s get this posted. Hoping to write some more substantial posts soon!