Quarantainment: Part 2
Once during a session when I was even more stressed than usual, an acupuncturist passed along a saying he’d heard somewhere.
When we’re too caught up in the past, it makes us sad; too caught up in the future, it makes us anxious… The key to inner peace, then, is to live in the present.
I always try to keep that in mind. The only problem is that during this extended quarantine, and with the dark state of the world in 2020, the present isn’t all that glamorous. Kori and I have been riding it out like everyone else, one day at a time, grateful for our blessings, while also trying to figure out how to stay healthy and balanced in these crazy conditions. It’s hasn’t been easy but we’re chipping away, and I find myself turning again and again to the magic of storytelling to bring joy and take the edge off.
Here’s what I’ve been into lately:
Greyhound: (Apple TV+) World War II piece, Tom Hanks leads an international convoy across the North Atlantic while being hunted by wolf packs of German U-boats. 99% of the movie focuses on the expedition itself; doesn’t let up for a second and really makes you stop and appreciate the veterans who risked their lives for this country. Also reminded me that just like fighting cancer, there are plenty of others braving out their own versions of hell on earth, which kept me grounded. I found submarine life fascinating (where’s the reality show at?), although needed subtitles because they don’t dumb down the lingo.
Palm Springs: (Hulu) Scoring 90%+ on Rotten Tomatoes caught our attention. Not a typical Rom-Com, Andy Samberg, Cristin Milioti and J.K. Simmons find themselves caught in a time loop; it’s quirky, funny, entertaining and weird… I kinda dug it!
Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi: (Hulu) Kori and I are loving so far! We’ve followed Padma on Bravo’s Top Chef for years. Her new show makes you feel smarter (and hungrier). Lots of insight on different ethnic cultures and the life of an immigrant. I’ve been missing a good travel/food show since Anthony Bourdain (RIP).
Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly (Memoir) - Maybe that’s why I started his book, which breaks down twenty-five years in the biz. Just the other night, I felt like I needed a distracting read before bed and stumbled on this while browsing around. Exactly the vibe I wanted! Don’t you love when that happens?
The Partner: (Novel) Wow did I love this one! Early John Grisham novel about a lawyer who stole $90M from his firm, fled to South America and is tracked down and tried in court. What I loved right away is the pace. The pages keep turning; I found it ridiculously entertaining, with lots of twists along the way… Highly recommend!
Where the Crawdads Sing: (Novel) Kori and I have been looking for a couple’s read for a while and she’s a huge Reese Witherspoon fan, so when I saw Reese was pretty much obsessed with this #1 Best seller, I figured it was worth a shot. Too early to tell but hopefully it’ll live up to the hype.
The Stand: (Novel) Stephen King’s classic on a pandemic of influenza that wipes out most of the world population… Wait, what?