Time Spent
August 16, 2023
Current location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
Reading: The Invention of Tomorrow by Thomas Suddendorf, Jonathan Redshaw, and Adam Bulley
Listening: Shameless by Nilüfer Yanya(if you have a moment, reply with your own 3-item status via email or in the comments)
Time Spent
I don't particularly enjoy the process of making a podcast: there are elements of it I find fulfilling and this process allows me to produce things I want to see in the world, while also contributing to my livelihood.
But if there were a button I could push that would allow me to convert all the things I want to convey, automagically, into a well-made podcast episode, I would push that button immediately—the outcome of investing that time and effort is what I’m after, not the spending of the time and effort itself.
In other cases, though, the spending is the point.
There are quick, casual ways of making coffee that I've experimented with, but I've (thus far) always gone back to using a little hand-grinder (with a one-cup capacity) and an AeroPress.
This process takes something like 5-10 minutes, all told, and I like it! I miss it when it's not there; using those minutes in that way imbues the act with additional meaning and a visceral satisfaction I don’t benefit from when I (in some cases literally) push a button to receive a coffee.
I try to ensure there are little activities of the non-button-pushing kind scattered throughout my day, as striking a balance between outcome-oriented tasks and endeavors in which I languidly, leisurely indulge seems to help me maintain a sustainable pace.
This approach, in my mind at least, is similar to deciding to strengthen and maintain not just one’s muscles, but also one’s tendons, ligaments, connective tissues, and all other aspects of the body: it’s considering and attempting to establish equilibrium across the whole of the system, rather than just wailing on the biceps of life.
It’s possible to get really good at whittling one’s responsibilities down to the bare-minimum in terms of time and effort commitment, and it can be satisfying to figure out and apply efficiencies to the button-pushing elements of our days.
But it’s also important to be capable of embracing and enjoying things that are their own purpose, psychologically sprawling and basking in their raw, grotesque inefficiency, lest we find ourselves (on the other side of all our optimization efforts) with liberated time we don’t know how to spend.
If you found value in this essay, consider buying me a coffee or becoming a paid subscriber :)
Video Essay
This week’s video essay is on a topic I feel pretty passionate about: news, how we engage with it, and some of the (understandable) reasons so many of us avoid it.
I also talk about a trio of recent headlines in a format that hopefully makes these topics a little more accessible.
Likes, shares, and subscribes are super-appreciated, and if you have a question you’d like me to answer in a future video, drop me a YouTube comment or email :)
Interesting & Useful
The Most Popular Slang Words by State
“The most popular of all is cutie—which stands out in nine states, having been in use since 1908. A newer entry is bae, which emerged in 2005 and quickly became A Cool Thing To Say, getting shortlisted for Oxford Dictionaries’ 2014 Word of the Year before being declared dead at the end of the year. Whether the word is short for babe or stands for Before Anyone Else remains unconfirmed. Still, rumors of bae’s demise are exaggerated—it remains the top boyfriend/girlfriend slang word in Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, New Hampshire and South Carolina.”
Bathysphere: Historical Photos of the World’s First Deep-Sea Exploration Vessel
“In 1925, American naturalist William Beebe proposed the idea of a submersible vehicle that could take humans to the ocean depths. As of the late 1920s, the deepest humans could safely descend in diving helmets was several hundred feet. Submarines of the time had descended to a maximum of 383 ft (117 m), but had no windows, making them useless for Beebe’s goal of observing deep-sea animals.”
Ran Through Ritz, Walked Miles, Drank in Dorchester
“On 15th August of 1945, three months after Nazi Germany’s surrender in Europe, the world rejoiced as Japan announced its unconditional surrender, bringing an end to World War II. Streets from New York to London, Sydney to Shanghai, were flooded with jubilant crowds celebrating the end of a devastating conflict that had spanned continents and oceans. Among the millions celebrating was Princess Elizabeth, destined to become Queen Elizabeth II. She had been just thirteen when the war began, and now, aged nineteen as peace was dawning, she briefly captured the day’s overwhelming emotion and shared sense of relief in her diary.”
Outro
I’ve been thinking of putting together a sort of “travel bingo” resource based on the mini-vacation concept I’ve been maundering on about recently, the idea being to provide excuses to get out and explore, ideas for things to do, and other such catalysts for roadtrips, hometown explorations, train rides to neighboring towns, and the like (basically: low-cost, short-term, semi-regular travel).
Would that be of interest to you if I did so?
I’d also love to hear from you in general, if you have a moment to share something about yourself with a stranger from the internet. Tell me who you are, what you’re up to, and/or share a photo of your view or you pet. Reply directly to this newsletter or send an email to colin@exilelifestyle.com—I respond to every message I receive!
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 cat and dog sounds in different languages.