I used to be able to write essays. I used to be able to write thoughtful pieces. My brain feels broken; neural pathways short-circuited by social media and soundbites. I haven't watched a movie or read a book in months, and yet I can fill my idle moments with YouTube "content" and doomscrolling. This is unsustainable; I need to be kind to my mind. I still have boxes of DVDs in my closet that I bought ages ago and still have not watched. I have a stack of books that I've been "meaning to read" for longer than a year. Computer languages I've been meaning to learn. Music I've been meaning to make time for. The keys to sustained sanity amidst the coming chaos is within reach.
I keep worrying about how bad inflation is going to get, and how quickly. I need to sign a new lease to get my current price locked in for another year. Life was supposed to start getting easier at my age.
