Happy Friday, Consumers. Welcome back to the Friday Five, your weekly round-up of cathartic and joyful content from across the corners of the internet.
This week, we’re starting with a cathartic essay by
of Madwomen & Muses: the title alone was enough for me to let out a deep exhale.
Aging is a gift! But it doesn’t feel that way much of the time. This piece challenged my own assumptions and feelings about aging while also reminding me of all the newness, excitement, and joy to come in the years ahead. If you feel non-committal about reading this, here’s an excerpt that might hook you: “I implore women to take a good look at what scares them about looking their age. It says a lot that this is the fear I see arise again and again. Did being or looking young ever save any woman from the relentless cruelty of misogyny? When you torture yourself in public about looking your age as a woman beyond her early thirties, whose comfort do you seek? Our faces tell beautiful stories. Your single, precious life is worth honoring.”
Next up, we’ve got a poem by Raul Gutierrez, which also falls into the catharsis category.
This poem made me cry; the last line changes the mood entirely. It also made me think about the lies we tell ourselves and one another to self-soothe or to comfort others. When I was four, I asked my Dad how Caller ID worked (if there are people in their twenties reading this, I wish you knew of the days of a standalone Caller ID machine attached to the landline).
He told me there were dozens of tiny people working inside the Caller ID, each of whom had their own phone book (another relic of the past!). The second a call came in, everyone would race through the phone books searching for the name to pair with the number. The person who got it the quickest would post the number on the screen, a victory for them and for us on the receiving end. After hearing this story, there was a period of time where I wished the Caller ID people goodnight and thanked them for their hard work on a regular basis.
Musical Cover: Surprisingly, this isn’t the first cover of ‘Creep’ I’ve shared on here, shout out to Big Boi Hums for his beautiful rendition. This version is by Erin Morton, a junior in the BFA Musical Theatre program at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory. I got goosebumps at three different points in the song — especially around 1:14-1:30 where she moves from quiet to loud.
I also loved watching the audience in this: at 1:17 the person all the way on the left adjusts himself in his seat and locks into the performance just as she gets louder. The entire time, the duo in the second row all the way on the right pass the vibe check, and I just loved how they engaged with the music (1:26 the church hand holler, the collective freak out at 2:00, the clapping at 2:22, standing up at 2:44.). Keep your eye on them and that alone will bring you good energy.
Next up, we have another musical moment but this is from an Instagram account from a Turkish tavern in Ankara where all the posts are stunning music and dance performances where the crowd is consistently going wild. The small kid up front, with his hand in a cast, has such gusto and zest for life!!
Joyful Internet Content:
This salsa verde is going to be so good.
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She-Yo… the imitation here is a work of art.
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This dog is called Piccolo and he is perfect:
This post from Ghanian Twitter… kissing teeth (think that tsk sound if you haven’t heard the expression or don’t have immigrant parents where that sound has 20 different loaded meanings) at your parents?? Legally punishable in jail.
Finally, some important legislation from my new home… Reminder, ‘picky bits’ are lil snacks and appetizers.
Thinking of the Caller ID employees,
Roya
One of those tiny people just buzzed me right now that” hurry up, check your email ! Roya is writing something about you” Now what do you have to say about this? Life is a beautiful magical journey, Believe on that my dearest! Love you Baba, you made my day❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️