Brain food and caring

Hiiii. How's everybody doing? How's your brain? Mine's been a little wonky lately. After tamping down a borderline panic attack while reading the news one morning, I decided to put some blinders on. For a couple of days, I shut out news entirely (which, by the way, is SO much easier when you're not on social media. You should get off social media. Seriously. It is eating your soul and not even bothering to give you something in return.)

Anyway. I got a little more mindful about what I was watching. Maybe skip the Stephen King movie about government snipers methodically killing contestants in a mandated competition? How about a rewatch of Gilmore Girls instead? Ahh that's like a nice hot bath. I downloaded the Calm app. Have I used it yet? Well no but I'm gonna. And I'm starting up with a new therapist tomorrow! I'm damn excited about that. Are you in therapy right now, my friend? We should all be. We should all have little therapists sitting on our shoulders, whispering sweet nothings in our ear as we slog through this hell on earth that has become America.

Look, things are bad right now, I know. Real bad. But what we absolutely cannot let them have are our minds. Our energies, our thoughts, the love we have for the people in our lives — those are ours and not on the table for discussion. While the world rages around us, we need to ensure that our brain plays the role of guardian angel. And in order to do that it needs some TLC. It needs sunshine and water and lots of talks with friends and a hobby to keep your hands busy and some quiet solitude every once in a while. It needs to watch a great standup special and a serene baking show and maybe an obscure movie but most definitely not one in which government snipers methodically shoot citizens. And above all else, it needs you to put the phone down and walk away.

I am obviously talking to myself but I'm also putting it all here, because I have rapidly found out I'm not the only one struggling. Let's all be kind to ourselves and each other. This will end someday, I promise. Let's make sure our brains emerge intact.

📺 Nobody Wants This (Netflix)
I find that rewatches can be very soothing, especially when they're funny and rom-com-y like this. There's a new season coming out next month, so you should watch this beforehand because it's quite satisfying. It's hilarious and the casting is spot-on and whyyy are Kristen Bell and Adam Brody such a great couple? They have so much chemistry, their real-life spouses should be concerned.

And now, back to the 70s...

🎥 All the President's Men (Criterion, Prime rental)
Lots of people cued up a Redford movie this week (RIP, you beautiful soul) and this was my pick. I had a phenomenal 8th grade history teacher who, when I got bored with our standard curriculum, encouraged me to go deep on an extra credit project. So I went with Watergate. (I was a weird kid.) I had weekly meetings with her to discuss and, despite all that, I still can’t explain the whole mess. That's what makes this movie all the more impressive—director Alan Pakula is masterful in depicting such a convoluted subject. And as an added bonus, Nixon now looks like a gentleman. Hey, at least he resigned.

🎥 Nashville (Criterion, Prime rental)
Settle into the Robert Altman wave and let it ride you out to sea. This is kind of an indescribable film. It has 24 (!) characters and every one of them is hilarious and human and going through something. Jeff Goldblum plays a magician and has no lines. Shelley Duvall wears the most wackadoo costumes I've ever seen and a new wig every scene. Lily Tomlin is divine. Keith Carradine is incredibly hot in a very 70s way. I love every moment of this movie.

Phew. That was a lot. I hope your week is filled with good thoughts.

xoxo,
Carla