Mental Health Day

July 17, 2024

3-Item Status

Current location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
Reading: The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Nayler
Listening: Calling You Out by Charly Bliss

(If you have a moment, reply with your own 3-Item Status)

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Mental Health Day

Friends!

It has been a long week.

Doing anything related to journalism in an environment like the current one can be strainful at times, but it’s been especially so recently.

What’s more, the Republican National Convention is occurring here in Milwaukee, so a huge chunk of the city just south of where I live is cordoned off, traffic flows are interrupted, mass-transit is wonky, and everyone is on high-alert (cops and soldiers have been brought in from all over the country, so that’s not hyperbole—it’s bizarre).

On top of that, it’s been very hot and humid, and I’m a cold-weather creature; I wither in this kind of tropical environment, and I’ve felt weirdly exhausted for no good reason all summer, this climactic situation weighing me down.

Thus! Mental health day.

I’m going to find the coolest part of my apartment and read. I’m going to work on a few stretch-goals. I’m going to maybe muster the grit to go for a run (though maybe not). And I’m going to, above all else, avoid the news (local, national, and international) for a few days, for my psychic wellbeing.

Yesterday, my girlfriend and I traversed an RNC convention security checkpoint to get to her studio (which is downtown inside the lockdown zone), to pick up some work and deliver it to a gallery about 1.5 hours west of the city. On the way, we stopped to fuel-up at a gas station that, for no obvious reason, has a petting zoo (complete with goats, fowl, a miniature pony, and at least one immense hog) that we obviously had to visit.

Chilling next to the goat pen was a peacock who was entirely disengaged from the hubbub and bustle of petting zoo life, and I aspire to be a similar level of beautifully unbothered, today.

So I’ll talk to you again next week, and in the meantime, please take care and grant yourself the space to breathe and (physically and psychologically) unclench if you find you need it.

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This peacock lives at a petting zoo tucked behind a gas station about a half-hour outside of Milwaukee—it’s just chilling out, refusing to bother itself over anything when it’s this hot and humid outside. I understand, peafriend, I understand.

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Outro

I’m taking the day for me-things, but my inbox is still open if you’d like to say howdy! Drop me a message about whatever’s on your mind, and/or take a moment to introduce yourself—I respond to every message I receive and would love to hear from you :)

Prefer stamps and paper? Send me a letter, postcard, or some other physical communication at: Colin Wright, PO Box 11442, Milwaukee, WI 53211

Or hit me up via the usual methods: Instagram/Threads, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, or unfairly persecuted pigeon.

One shot photo contest winners.