With all the awful things going on in the world lately, I was yearning for a bit of an escape this weekend, and did so by binge watching new Queer Eye. Does anyone else cry during practically every episode? I think this season is even better than the first. Jonathan is still my favorite of course, but Tan is a close second.
“Winter and Spring” is officially over in LA. It feels like summer again. I wore this alpaca mix cardigan out today and quickly overheated. It’s been a staple during the work week as well. It keeps me toasty in my frigid office.
The other day, one of my patients, a 90 year old woman, became obsessed with my cardigan. She touched it and pulled it towards her, examining the inside, asked where it was from and how much it cost, then asked if she could have it. I didn’t answer immediately. She said she was serious and asked me again if she could have it. I was laughing inside, thanked her for the compliments, but had to say no. I love it so much, it was easy not to let myself cross that boundary.
In other news, did anyone else watch the PBS Newshour special series on the world’s plastic problem? It’s hard not to feel utterly demoralized by it. There was an interesting Still Processing podcast episode titled “Circulars” that’s worth listening to as well on how the solution to climate change isn’t going to be conscious consumerism or how much we recycle; its essentially going to come down to who we vote into office. It’s nothing I didn’t already know, but I felt like I needed a reminder of that anyway.
Sometimes I think we can get caught up with anxiety over what we are consuming (eg. how I was frantically googling whether or not the mackerel fish I bought at the grocery store was sourced from the right region of the world, or feeling guilty when I threw away the styrofoam tray it came in). At the end of the day, it’s not about all that. It’s going to be about who’s in power and what we enact into law. Amidst all the noise, and virtue signaling out there, it was a bit of a relief to refocus on the real solution.
Dr. it girl 
Absolutely re: plastic. Not that it absolves us of our behavior, but the macro is what is important. I think neoliberal practices really shift the blame to the individual to avoid having to deal with the more messy issues in business and government.
I think of this in a different area the most — I work for a university and when people have “catastrophic illness” we can donate our sick time to the person. Maybe I’m the ass, but I refuse, because the university should provide measures for such events. We all have them a few times in our lives. It’s not my job as an individual to lose the protections I earned and need.
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Yes! Totally agree with you on both points. We had an email at work asking us to donate work leave too and I thought the same thing.
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You handled that interaction with your patient quite well I think! Yikes, it must have been an awkward moment.
The new season of QE is SO GOOD, but I have to limit myself to an episode a day so that I can stretch out my enjoyment of it. It’s really tough to not click through to the next one…
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I admire your restraint. Come next weekend, I might actually have to be productive to make up for it, lol.
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Queer Eye is so good! I’ve already watched almost all of it. Karamo is probably my fave.
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They are all great, really. The interior decorator is probably the most underrated. He seems to be the one doing most of the heavy lifting, literally.
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Oh I love the story of your interaction with your patient! It sounds like such a cute moment!
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It was so unexpected. Definitely got a kick out of it =)
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I agree across the board with Amy, above. I am happy to abstain from, e.g., straws whenever possible, but the idea that because corporations have been increasingly negligent that I should have to wash my clothing in a special bag or FEEL SHAME is a problem in the way we are facing the problem. Plastics in 2019 are so much like processed foods. The ability to opt out is often one of privilege; to sell the problem as the consumer’s problem absolves the corporations behind the problems and invites serious classism and ableism, and it avoids meaningful conversations about what should still be made from plastic and what should be made from other materials and when.
And an emphatic HELL YES to her comment about workers donating paid leave to their coworkers. I fully support anyone who wants to do it, but resent the system in which it is necessary. I feel the same way about GoFundMe, etc for healthcare costs. THIS SHOULD NOT BE THE WAY THIS WORKS.
(Sorry I’m a bit yelly. It makes me really mad.)
Love your sweater! I am NOT ready for summer, but I’m really over winter (Missouri editions).
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I love that you are yelly on these issues. It makes me so mad too!!!! I shy away from talking about these things for any extended period of time because I’m afraid I’d just go on and on yelling and hardly make any difference in doing so. We all must vote and donate to people who will affect meaningful change if we can. Geez, it’s ridiculous that people have to resort to gofundme for health care expenses, but it does seem like more people are supporting universal healthcare now. I’m hopeful we are a few years away from it being a reality.
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