(they’re) doing alright

A square image of a sunset over the mountains with the text "they're doing alright" in a newspaper clipping font

A few weeks ago, my computer was doing an update. This prevented me from working on my projects, & I wanted to spend family time, so I didn’t use the computer in my bedroom. Bored & without anything better to do while I waited, I decided to go down a rabbit hole of looking up my childhood friends & see what they were up to now.

& it ended up being a very warm, heartwarming experience.

One is an environmental engineer. One came out as nonbinary & queer & became a doula. One who as a kid, I falsely judged to be least likely to be successful, became a successful engineer as well. Another works as a computer programmer. The mom of two childhood friends of mine who helped watch me as a kid is now a website designer.

Then I looked up some of my Dad’s childhood & high school friends. All of the ones I looked up were still alive & doing well. One is a successful lawyer with a nice house & car. One, a drummer who might have played in a band with my dad is still a drummer & now works at the Johnny Cash Museum in Nashville. One guy who worked as a server alongside my dad now owns his own restaurant. One is still a successful investor & stock broker.

And to see so many people either of us knew when we were younger? To see them thriving in more ways than I ever would have suspected? To see that legitimately every one of them was doing something I’d consider cool & they all seemed to be living uncommon & interesting lives?

It genuinely brought me so much joy & was almost a bit transcendent in a way. They had their place in each of our lives, & now they’ve moved on & are out in the world doing things & seemingly living good lives

And it also put things in perspective that as much as I may feel like I haven’t done enough or that I’m a failure sometimes, it occurred to me that should they ever look me up, & see that I’m an actor & artist & writer & whatnot? That they’d probably feel the same way about me. I may doubt myself often, but people probably think what I do is cool too even when I don’t feel that way about myself.

It gives me hope that things do go right, & people can become what they want to, & that even people who we’ve outgrown but still wish well can thrive ♥ 

This Month’s Media: May 2021

What I watched, listened to, read, & played in May 2021!

WOW, I listened to a HECK TON of podcasts this month due to working a lot, probably the most I’ve ever listened to in a month (98 podcasts!!!!), only a few TV episodes, quite a few more books than normal, & zero movies haha.

TV

  1. Let’s Read Homestuck: Episodes Act Act 2: 2, 3
  2. The Way of the House Husband: Episode 2, 3

Total: 4 Episodes

BOOKS

  1. Frog & Toad are Friends by Arnold Lobel*
  2. Cool Cuts by Mechal Renee Roe*
  3. Crafts for Valentine’s Day by Kathy Ross*
  4. First in Fashion: Mary Quant by Rebecca Felix
  5. Reptiles for Kids by Bold Kids
  6. Piranhas: Discover Pictures & Facts About Piranhas for Kids by Bold Kids
  7. Octopus: Discover Pictures & Facts About Octopus for Kids by Bold Kids
  8. Cuttlefish: Discover Pictures & Facts About Cuttlefish for Kids by Bold Kids
  9. Lions: Discover Pictures & Facts About Lions for Kids by Bold Kids

Total: 9 Books

MOVIES & DOCUMENTARIES

 

Total: 0 Movies & Documentaries

PODCASTS

  1. Across the Veil – BONUS: The Exorcist
  2. The Adventure Zone: Episodes Setup: Commitment 
  3. A OK: 5
  4. Cults: Oneida Community Part 1
  5. Dos: After You: S1 Ep. 21
  6. Frog of the Week: The Black Rain Frog, The American Bullfrog, The Purple Frog, Cranwell’s Horned Frog, Paedophryne Amauensis (Pete), Vietnamese Mossy Frog, The Glass Frog, African Dwarf Frog
  7. Frogcast: The Hairy Frog, the Wood Frog
  8. Jar of Rebuke: Episodes Interludes 3, 4
  9. Less is Morgue – Ep. 30, 31
  10. Lore: Episodes Halloween Specials 2016 1 & 2, Halloween Specials 2017 1 & 2,  45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71
  11. MBMBAM: Episodes 14
  12. Positiviteeny! Board of Good Things, Tiny Smiles, Say What You are Feeling
  13. Purrcast: Ep. 18, 19, 20, 21
  14. Sawbones: Episodes: Birth Control, Radiation Therapy, Tobacco, Patent Medicines, Immortality, Reanimation, Baldness
  15. Schmanners: Engagement, Birthdays, Apologies, Funerals
  16. Serial Killers: The Blood Countess Part 1 & 2, Dr. Death Part 1 & 2, The Sorcerer Part 1 & 2, The Trash Bag Killer Part 1 & 2, The Boston Strangler Part 1 & 2, Killer Petey, Carl Panzram Part 1
  17. Sounds Fake But Okay: Ep. 7
  18. Strange Heartland: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11
  19. Unsolved Murders: True Crime Stories: Ep. 4, 5
  20. Welcome to Night Vale: Episodes 147, 148, 149, 150, 151, 152, 153

Total: 98 Podcast Episodes

ALBUMS

Total: 0 Albums

GAMES

  1. Stardew Valley*
  2. Among Us*

Total: 1 Games

*Things marked with the asterisk mean it’s something I’ve read/watched/listened to before, everything else is new to me!