How Are You?
Hey,
How are you? How are you really? Lately, the world seems especially bleak. And that’s saying something because we are living in 2020, which is to say we are living in hell. Given the state of things, I’ve decided not to post our regularly scheduled newsletter.
We are ankle-deep in a punishing heatwave, and the world is on fire. The sky is choked by a haze of smoke, and the pandemic is still raging. Despite disasters, these clear and present dangers, people are still somehow eating outside of Denny’s.
It’s just depressing. I feel like we deserve a break from the news cycle.
One of the goals I had with this newsletter was to make the news lighter, less overbearing. I know most y’all are deeply connected to your newsfeeds. Even so, I wanted this newsletter to cut through the bullshit. I wanted to gather the most important stories you might have missed, and use my writing to make you laugh, or at least exhale through your nose a couple of times.
Aht aht, none of that today. This week, I want you to focus on you. Because we need you. Fresno needs you. The world needs you to take care of yourself. Despite all of this darkness, we need you to take care of yourself.
I’ve been rewatching the animated series “The Legend of Korra” for the past few days. One of the characters, Iroh, said something that really resonated with me, something that made me tear up. He said:
“If you look for the light, you will often find it. If you look for the dark, it is all you will see.”
I want you to look for the light today! No darkness. Just good news for once.
Since I started writing the newsletter, I’ve been connected to so many wonderful people in Fresno. Despite the smoke and the hopelessness there are really people out there trying to save this town and make it better. If it weren’t for them, I would be in despair right now.
I want to give a special thanks to Yasmin Mendoza, David Paredes, and Dary Rezvani. Incidentally, they’ve all been guests on the Five by Five Nine Podcast, but I’m now proud to call them my friends.
I’m going to ask you a favor. Please try and do this after you read this email. I want you to turn off your phone or log off social media. That’s it. It doesn’t have to be for a long time. Maybe just until the end of the day. The bad news will still be here. Just get off for a day.
Here’s what you can do while you’re away:
Pick up the phone and call/FaceTime a friend
Schedule that therapy appointment you’ve been putting off
Read a book, here’s some suggestions
The Way to Love by Anthony de Mello
The Hindu scripture, Bhagavad Gita
You Get So Alone at Times That It Just Makes Sense by Charles Bukowski
The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus
Journaling
Crying
Taking a walk inside or outside with a mask
Screaming into a pillow
Have a glass of wine
Binge Legend of Korra
The point is to just stay away from the news, if only for a day, and to take care of yourself during that time.
Also, I wanted to write this letter to you because I quit my job at the Business Journal. There are lots of reasons for my departure, but the main reason is meaninglessness. I could look outside and see a red angry sun behind a blanket of smoke. I could write this letter and see the COVID-19 toll climbing each week. And despite everything, I was still doing busywork at a meaningless job, not really helping anyone.
I had enough. Luckily, I am privileged and fortunate enough to still be living with my parents, to have a roof over my head. I want to use my privilege and my talents to serve Fresno.
It is not enough to make a newsletter and do a podcast. I want to write a great newsletter for Fresno. I want to record the best podcast for Fresno
My sole focus will be Fiveby from now on. To all the people who’ve read the newsletter, thank you. There is a feedback survey I created for y’all to fill out, if you have time. Please. The podcast will still come out on Wednesday. The guest this week will be Fresnoland’s creator, Danielle Bergstrom. Also, I’m going to be more active on Twitter and Instagram, so make sure you’re following us there!
Take care,
Ram <3