Scattered

Scattered

Scattered… scattered.

In my thoughts, I’m searching, trying to pick up pieces to a puzzle, but they slide along the laminate instead. Are they my dreams? Stuck to the floor?

Are they the state of the world, falling down around me?

Are they my mental health (that I work on every day)?

What are these scattered pieces?

I had an entire piece written (as I often do), and it didn’t feel right to publish and post on my little Substack. I still will. Eventually.

But that’s not what this is. I’m a little unsettled. How about you?

I’ve been posting Pride flags on my Instagram. I might have only a few dozen followers (actually a couple hundred - where did they come from? (Hi!)), and they likely know I don’t agree with bans, whether pride flags, books or late-night talk show hosts.

I watch Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. He taught me something recently. A woman who runs “The Free Press” is on Substack (which I won’t link to because I don’t want to give her more views.) This woman, who doesn’t know how to fact-check, is now in charge of CBS News. Luckily, I’m more likely to watch the CBC, but what about our American friends and family?

So, I’ve landed in another worrying space.

Banned Books Week in the US just happened. I read banned books. I’m proud, never upset, when one of my children picks up a banned book, if I even realize it’s a book that’s been banned. Mostly, I’m happy that they’re reading.

Sarah J. Maas’s Throne of Glass series is now frequently challenged and banned. I didn’t even know until a couple of months ago. Her books are so good! I read Kingdom of Ash this past August. I’m sure that’s not the only banned book I’ve read in the past year. Not because I’m searching for banned books to read, but because books that often get a person thinking, books that are good, get banned. Way back, I read The Hunger Games because I thought it sounded like a good story. When I read To Kill a Mockingbird in my 20s, it was because another bookish person couldn’t believe I hadn’t read this modern classic. I didn’t realize anyone would want to ban it. I was also less aware of things like book bans back then.

When I’m scattered, distracted, disturbed, upset, I want to read it all. I want to write it all. I want to create what will make me happy. I want to read a story that will engross me and maybe made the author happy to write.

My words, today’s path took a turn I didn’t expect.

Time to switch it up (again) and turn on the baseball game.

What I’ve Been Reading:

• A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping, Sangu Mandanna

• Neverwinter, R.A. Salvatore

• The Ice Guy and Cool Girl #6, Miyuki Tonogaya

What I’ve Been Watching:

• Baseball. So much baseball

• Josh Johnson’s comedy tour on YouTube

What I’ve Been Listening To:

• The Life of a Showgirl, Taylor Swift

• It’ll be Alright, Kid, Alex Warren

• I Barely Know Her, sombr

• Virgin, Lorde

Learn about the land on which we reside:

• Whose Land

• Native Land Digital