I finished ‘The Beauty Myth’ by Naomi Wolf last week and while this book tackles many topics related to the idea of beauty and it’s long term effects on societies, all of which made me think extra hard about my own self image, there was one concept that I thought was worth discussing here.

Wolf brings up the idea that society encourages us to view others and ourselves in a purely visual format. Media, and pornography especially, define people almost solely based on image. However, this way of observing others is a handicap that we’ve created for ourselves because vision is just one of our five senses. If you’re meeting someone in person, then the way they smell, sound, taste, and feel can also affect our perceptions of them.

So often we tie the idea of beauty or sexiness to how people look. Great hair, great butt, great eyes. But if you’re lying next to someone - there are a whole slew of other things that can cause attraction.

I finished a book last week and although most of it was pretty light, there was a phrase in it that really struck me:

Contentment is the enemy of capitalism.

Read that phrase a couple more times and let it sink in.

There has been an insurmountable mountain of recommendations in the past few weeks of how to spend your time in quarantine. I even released a piece with ideas a couple weeks ago. An overwhelming number of them recommend using this time to learn a new skill, tackle the project you’ve been putting off, or invest in self care.

For some of us, having this extra time might be the exact kick we needed to be more productive or to invest in something new. However, for some of us, this might be the exact kick we needed to slow down.

This is a weird time. It simultaneously feels like so much is happening, yet nothing is happening. I’m constantly caught between feeling like I should panic or that I should stay calm. Staying at home is the best thing I can do, but it also feels like I’m doing nothing to help the situation.

Illinois finally issued a formal shelter-in-place ordinance starting this past Saturday at 5pm. Many other states and counties across the country, and even more places around the world are in the same boat. Many businesses that have been deemed non-essential are closed - one of those being the gym.

Maybe I’m lame but this is where the shelter-in-place is hitting me the hardest.