Man get out of my head. Facebook created these cardboard cutouts of friendship that have posed as connection for years, generations at this point. It’s no wonder the younger among us don’t know how to interact without a heaping helping of awkward if they think connection comes defined by an algorithm instead of eye contact. Reading the list of events at the end of your post makes me think boredom might be getting cool. Fingers crossed for all us nerds.
Also, Vancouver is cool as shit. Canada is in general. Macleans did a cool article about the garrison mentality in Canadian fiction and how Canadians are just more naturally interested in community as a result of the colder climate. I’m a citizen and think about going back all the time, especially lately.
"heaping helping of awkward" 😂 you have great turns of phrase.
Fingers crossed for all us nerds indeed.
Where in Canada are you originally from? And yes, come back! Although depends where... lots of places here are hollowed out now.
I'm curious about that idea we're more interested in community, I have been experiencing the opposite for the last many years. It could be living on the west coast though. We're a strange breed out here, very cliquey and cold. I moved away from Vancouver in 2015 and have since lived in a small town on the coast and now Victoria, our baby Portland. Community has been exceedingly difficult to build and maintain in all three places since the cost of living crisis started to pick up steam. I had pre-existing friend groups in both places before I moved and it was still hard.
I also think no one prepares you for what a fuck around mid-life is, especially once all your friends start having families. People are barely surviving and its the worst for parents. This is a SUPER lonely chapter. I feel like a social billionaire in some ways just by sheer volume of meaningful connections but its like I have no where to 'spend my money' because everyone's too busy hustling and trying to survive.
Well my fam is from New Brunswick. I lived in Calgary for a year back in 2017 (which feels like a couple of years ago...eek). I'd love to move up to Ottawa or Montreal or something. I'm pretty tethered to New England for now as my parents are a bit older and I'd hate to be too far. My itchy feet make me antsy as fuck staying in one spot for the last 7 years (by one spot I mean I've moved 5 times in the greater NYC area).
Your comment on community reminds me of how it felt in Maine when I grew up there as a kid. People were kind if you needed them but rarely sociable. Friend groups were small, familial and old. Tough set to break in with. The tribal politics in America has made some of that stuff even worse. I like reading your stuff/connecting with you as it does crack the rose colored glasses I use to look at Canada. Grass is always greener.
Mid-life is such a "fuck around" (a turn of phrase I hadn't used but now will) on so many levels. I'm part of a dynamic dink (double income no kids) duo and know the distance that grows with your friends/family when they have kids for sure. All the easy breezy meaning the kids seem to imbue in all their lives while we have to do the hard work of creating it, work I love but it's still a lot of work. Half the time I feel like I'm super busy but then look back and haven't done anything, that might be the biggest fuck around of mid-life is that it got here faster than it should've and might be gone before I know it.
yes <3 I feel very fortunate. I have a beautiful wide and deep community. Even though this piece writes about how our community has been ‘fractured’ what I really mean by that is that our wider whole lacks connectivity and cohesion relative to the past. I was fortunate enough to keep many of those friendships even if they exist sort of independent of the once-was collective.
Yay!! The poem at the top..i think we need authentic togetherness while also being sovereign indiivuals..i have never quite felt like i found my tribe if its supposed to be a singular thing, but i have various tribettes :)
awww that's sweet! ya I hope you like it. and feedback very welcome!
it's an experiment. I make it with notebookLM so it's not actually me talking. there's an explanation in the first episode post if that's not familiar to you.
I've got a long form podcast concept in the works I'm hoping to get going this summer that will actually be me with other real humans but this is a chance for me to info dump somewhere lol
Man get out of my head. Facebook created these cardboard cutouts of friendship that have posed as connection for years, generations at this point. It’s no wonder the younger among us don’t know how to interact without a heaping helping of awkward if they think connection comes defined by an algorithm instead of eye contact. Reading the list of events at the end of your post makes me think boredom might be getting cool. Fingers crossed for all us nerds.
Also, Vancouver is cool as shit. Canada is in general. Macleans did a cool article about the garrison mentality in Canadian fiction and how Canadians are just more naturally interested in community as a result of the colder climate. I’m a citizen and think about going back all the time, especially lately.
"heaping helping of awkward" 😂 you have great turns of phrase.
Fingers crossed for all us nerds indeed.
Where in Canada are you originally from? And yes, come back! Although depends where... lots of places here are hollowed out now.
I'm curious about that idea we're more interested in community, I have been experiencing the opposite for the last many years. It could be living on the west coast though. We're a strange breed out here, very cliquey and cold. I moved away from Vancouver in 2015 and have since lived in a small town on the coast and now Victoria, our baby Portland. Community has been exceedingly difficult to build and maintain in all three places since the cost of living crisis started to pick up steam. I had pre-existing friend groups in both places before I moved and it was still hard.
I also think no one prepares you for what a fuck around mid-life is, especially once all your friends start having families. People are barely surviving and its the worst for parents. This is a SUPER lonely chapter. I feel like a social billionaire in some ways just by sheer volume of meaningful connections but its like I have no where to 'spend my money' because everyone's too busy hustling and trying to survive.
Well my fam is from New Brunswick. I lived in Calgary for a year back in 2017 (which feels like a couple of years ago...eek). I'd love to move up to Ottawa or Montreal or something. I'm pretty tethered to New England for now as my parents are a bit older and I'd hate to be too far. My itchy feet make me antsy as fuck staying in one spot for the last 7 years (by one spot I mean I've moved 5 times in the greater NYC area).
Your comment on community reminds me of how it felt in Maine when I grew up there as a kid. People were kind if you needed them but rarely sociable. Friend groups were small, familial and old. Tough set to break in with. The tribal politics in America has made some of that stuff even worse. I like reading your stuff/connecting with you as it does crack the rose colored glasses I use to look at Canada. Grass is always greener.
Mid-life is such a "fuck around" (a turn of phrase I hadn't used but now will) on so many levels. I'm part of a dynamic dink (double income no kids) duo and know the distance that grows with your friends/family when they have kids for sure. All the easy breezy meaning the kids seem to imbue in all their lives while we have to do the hard work of creating it, work I love but it's still a lot of work. Half the time I feel like I'm super busy but then look back and haven't done anything, that might be the biggest fuck around of mid-life is that it got here faster than it should've and might be gone before I know it.
Yes please. ✨💛🙌🏼
💜this. Lets b fwiends🙌
May it be so! Hello new internet friend :) I’m glad this landed for you Julia. What specifically spoke t you?
Have u met ur tribe?
yes <3 I feel very fortunate. I have a beautiful wide and deep community. Even though this piece writes about how our community has been ‘fractured’ what I really mean by that is that our wider whole lacks connectivity and cohesion relative to the past. I was fortunate enough to keep many of those friendships even if they exist sort of independent of the once-was collective.
Yay!! The poem at the top..i think we need authentic togetherness while also being sovereign indiivuals..i have never quite felt like i found my tribe if its supposed to be a singular thing, but i have various tribettes :)
I really like the idea of interdependence and how you express it here. Tribettes is cute and accurate too.
Thank u. I haven't forgotten about listeing to ur podcast, just a matter of finding the time but i look fwd to it, web buddy🤣🥳
awww that's sweet! ya I hope you like it. and feedback very welcome!
it's an experiment. I make it with notebookLM so it's not actually me talking. there's an explanation in the first episode post if that's not familiar to you.
I've got a long form podcast concept in the works I'm hoping to get going this summer that will actually be me with other real humans but this is a chance for me to info dump somewhere lol
https://jenniferangelamcrae.substack.com/i/165298900/the-fine-print-on-process