These days keep happening: the days where you and your son go to the bank to get his learner’s permit notarized, and you stand in line for fifteen minutes behind an impossibly old woman wearing one blue surgical glove and when you get to the teller, she informs you that, unfortunately, the notary is out today, but you can go to the fourth floor of the Land Title Building next door, because there’s a notary office there, and you do but when the bell chimes and the elevator doors open, there’s just an empty office for senior housing or some such, and you realize you took the wrong elevators to the wrong fourth floor, but when you turn back around the elevator doors are made of the same wood paneling as the walls, and for a moment you can’t see the elevator doors at all, and you and your son laugh because it’s so absurd and improbable, all these silly mishaps on a simple errand on a Monday afternoon, and you go back down to the first floor and out to Broad and over to Chestnut and back in the elevators (different elevators) and go to the fourth floor (different fourth floor) and when the elevator chimes and the doors open there’s a different office, this time full of smiling chattering people, and you and your son approach the desk and ask for the notary and everyone laughs because the notary is on the FOURTEENTH floor, not the fourth, and you’re like the fourth person who has come in today looking for the notary, and you tell them it must be because the notary is out today at the bank and the teller is sending everyone to the fourth floor of the Land Title Building and everyone laughs and laughs.
I so appreciate your vulnerabilty. And your writing is so engaging. I am inspired although I haven't started writing nonfiction myself. Thank you for being you!
So well written. I love the juxtaposition of being in the moment with curiosity and awe and then plummeting to future and past that can feel like hell. Your story shows us the wisdom of dragging ourselves back to the garden of momentary living.
Sending love to you, Jodi. So relatable. All of it. And that last story ab the guy being changed by “you are an overflowing vessel of love,” made me tear up. 💕💕💕
Oh I almost forgot-- ALDI + fungus gnats!!! 😭😭 Same thing happened to me when I brought home a house plant from my beloved ProduceJunction. I moved it outside & let it die. I don’t know what I’d do if I had a whole load of plants with that issue! Sending strength!
Another post hits close to home... belonging, not-belonging, parts work, friendships, leaving community... *sigh.* Thank you for writing how I feel, again. (Luckily I've not had the pleasure of Aldi-induced fungus gnats, but the warning is much appreciated because I've contemplated buying that soil.)
Cheers to the paradox! And a side note: your posts always make me miss Philly- I grew up in southern PA and spent a good chunk of my youth at punk shows on South Street in the 80's/90's.
Jodi,
I so appreciate your vulnerabilty. And your writing is so engaging. I am inspired although I haven't started writing nonfiction myself. Thank you for being you!
Beth
Thank you Beth!
So well written. I love the juxtaposition of being in the moment with curiosity and awe and then plummeting to future and past that can feel like hell. Your story shows us the wisdom of dragging ourselves back to the garden of momentary living.
EXACTLY! thank you Diane! As always, your words are a buoy.
Sending love to you, Jodi. So relatable. All of it. And that last story ab the guy being changed by “you are an overflowing vessel of love,” made me tear up. 💕💕💕
Ahhh thank you so much! I love that guy, makes me so happy 😁
Oh I almost forgot-- ALDI + fungus gnats!!! 😭😭 Same thing happened to me when I brought home a house plant from my beloved ProduceJunction. I moved it outside & let it die. I don’t know what I’d do if I had a whole load of plants with that issue! Sending strength!
It’s destroying my brain!!! Omg I gave you a plant for your birthday front the same batch! BURN IT
Another post hits close to home... belonging, not-belonging, parts work, friendships, leaving community... *sigh.* Thank you for writing how I feel, again. (Luckily I've not had the pleasure of Aldi-induced fungus gnats, but the warning is much appreciated because I've contemplated buying that soil.)
It can be so hard but I love the paradox of how talking about it clears a path to more connection... thank you for being here 🙏🏻
Cheers to the paradox! And a side note: your posts always make me miss Philly- I grew up in southern PA and spent a good chunk of my youth at punk shows on South Street in the 80's/90's.
Nice!