The Friday Five!

Faith is a five letter word.

1. So it is *officially* the dog days of summer here. Incredibly hot temperatures (100 is no longer even noteworthy) thick, oppressive humidity (the kind that fogs up your glasses) and very few people around. Town is so dead you can park anywhere and have some intersections totally to yourself. Even the pool is quiet, as everyone has escaped to the beach. I am trying to savor it, reminding myself that in a month or so the students will begin to return, bringing with them cars and activities and motion as a new school year begins. But not yet.

2. One thing that had everyone talking: The Summer I Turned Pretty filming downtown and on the UNC Campus. I have to admit, I LOVED seeing my old pal Jenny Han single-handedly take over the local news cycle. I bragged that I knew her to anyone who would listen! (These are my people, so they did. Thankfully.) It will be so cool to see Chapel Hill and my alma mater/former place of employment (shoutout to my students from English 23W and 34, all those years ago) make it onto the screen, even if we are standing in for a fictional school. No matter! I know this place like my own heart and will recognize it instantly.

3. I’m pretty sure one of my neighbors is hand-feeding the deer, because they are no longer even a LITTLE bit intimidated by my presence. The other day I turned to find one literally standing right behind me, face expectant, as if I owed it money or something. When I took a step forward it did not budge an inch, which sent me scurrying back to the safety of the porch. It is one thing to have hummingbirds zooming over my head, or even squirrels that are too hot to do much other than look at me when I pass by. But these are BIG animals. I will keep my distance, even if they do not.

   

4. Lately I have become obsessed with doing the daily Wordle puzzle in the New York Times. Usually, I am solely a Mini Crossword girl, because it is fast and easy. And I LOVE fast and easy, especially when the world feels anything but. Then I took up the Wordle a month or so ago when my anxiety was spiking and I found puzzles helped. Now, solving it—-even if it takes awhile and a pen and paper—-is a much needed reminder that if I keep trying and don’t give up there are always worthwhile gains. Even if it’s a small one, only five letters, and does nothing to really move the needle in terms of what I truly need to accomplish. Still, I’ll take it.

5. Speaking of which, a question. (For the universe, or you reading this or just to ask.) Why oh WHY, when I *don’t* know what’s going to happen and it terrifies me, is my first, primal instinct to race blindly forward anyway? By this point I should know well that forcing anything—-writing, time to move faster, the world to somehow change—-only makes the process harder. But patience, always, is my kryptonite. I would rather be doing something than nothing, even if it is at best counterproductive and at worse outright bad for me. When I was little, my mom always said if I separated from her, ever, the first thing to do is STAY PUT. Sit down where you are. So on these days when I feel that familiar panic hit, I try to remember her words. Sometimes the right move is, well no move. All you can do is wait to be found.

   So thank you for finding me, here. I may be return next week, or maybe not. I am, as I said, in my Wait and See Era. But for now, it’s nice to be back.

   Have a good weekend everyone!