mindfulness
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25 and Counting
I just returned from my 25th college reunion (yes, for those of you who recognize the large banner in the background, I did my undergrad at Harvard) and it was eye-opening. I can think of few other gatherings where everyone is basically of the same age and shares a powerful common experience. I had forgotten the sense of kinship and community this can create, and while we may have been clique-y during our college years, the passage of time and a certain maturity have softened the edges. Harvard puts on a great show for 25th reunions – 3 1/2 full days of barbecues, panels, cocktail parties, memorial services, fancy dinners…
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Let us be well
I awoke to heartbreaking news this morning of the death of one of my favorite singers; Scott Hutchison, the lead singer of the Scottish band Frightened Rabbit was found dead at Port Edgar, Scotland. Although the cause of death was not determined, from the response of his family and bandmates (and indeed anyone who listened to his music, and knew his struggles), it was clearly suicide. Mental health among performers and artists has been in the news lately, and Scott’s death feels like a devastating but timely reminder of both the toll it can take and its prevalence in modern society. Yet it still feels like a taboo topic…
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Wild foodstuffs of Pacific Heights
I’ve always been kind of sensitive to things being out of place (I chalk it up to having a neat freak Asian mom, but maybe it’s just my nature). It’s useful when I’m editing for mistakes in a musical score (I’ll write a whole blog post on that some time) but less so when I’m rearranging leggings at Costco because they’ve mixed in some navy with the black ones. So lately I’ve been trying to use this proclivity of mine, not to judge my environment but to use as a tool to be more aware of the little moments of wonder I might be missing in the world around me.…