Being Social

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I wrote a blog for this week and decided to scrap it in favor of something different. A blog about my planning things isn’t that exciting. Instead, I’ll tell you about how things are going and some things I’ve done differently. I’ve been really social the last week!

Lasts Friday, I went to Chevalier’s Books in Los Angeles to hear John Brantingham read along with a few other people. I always enjoy hearing John read. He’s been an amazing support for me when I was first starting out in my career—and of course, I enjoy his poetry and fiction. The venue is a nice bookstore in the Larchmont area of Los Angeles, a bit of a drive for me, but it was worth it. I always try to support bookstores when I can. That may account for the hordes of books I have yet to read ….

On Monday, I went to Fox Coffee House in Long Beach to hear Lori McGinn and Mariano Zaro read (and to support Cadence Collective!). Always a good reading. Glad I got to see so many faces I hadn’t seen for months since my Holiday Exile (it happens).

I also attended the Ugly Mug reading featuring Daniel McGinn, Robin Hudechek, and Thomas Thomas—I always enjoy hearing these poets read, and the Ugly Mug tends to have an ecclectic open reading. The featured poets read from Ides: A collection of poetry chapbooks put out by Silver Birch Press.

I’ve also been social outside of these readings, which is rare for me. I typically limit myself to, at most, a few things a week so I don’t burn out or get tired. Or overstimulated. This tends to drain me a lot, but I’m nearing the end of the week and I still have energy. So very glad about that!

Recently, I’ve begun taking spirulina to help alkalinize my body, as I tend to be overly acidic. I’ve also begun limiting my dairy intake. Yes, no gluten, no dairy, and I’ve started to feel the best I’ve felt in a long time. I’m a little tired now, but that’s because I didn’t sleep so well last night (took a long nap and had some late-night green tea). But overall, I don’t feel as anxious or as stressed. I’ve been making sure to do my stretches as well to keep the muscle aches at a minimum.

But this doesn’t mean I don’t have doubts. I wrote a poem about this, how when I begin to feel good again, that I wait for the “other shoe to drop,” I wait for the good to end and don’t enjoy the energy while I can. I’m trying to this time. I have a therapy appointment next week and this is something I’ll bring up with my social worker. But I’m still working on being better. It’s a struggle, but right now, I have some hope. I will keep you all updated on how I fare.

How is your new year going?