An Ode to the Mundane 😴

Dear Friend,

Hey there, how’s it going?

March has been a month of many changes — we moved to a new apartment and Ian’s in Japan for the past week or so. Work’s also been super stressful to the point where I’ve been having work dreams on most nights, which I truly hate since I’d have to work OT and don’t even get paid for it!

So when I am able to slow down, I’ve been savoring these mundane moments — moments that are categorically boring but added so much enjoyment to my life over time. Things like: seeing steam rise from the compost pile during my morning runs, making a pot of coffee that turned out better than expected, taking a rainy walk that I dreaded but ended up revitalizing my spirit and more. Yesterday I ran past this old man who clapped as I past him — he was clapping for his partner up ahead but it also encouraged me. Slow down and smell the roses, friends, I guarantee it’s worth your time.

• Go Slow: ‎Japanese Rural Life Adventure (on iOS/macOS)

I’ve never claimed to love Beyoncé nor am I part of her bey-hive, but I gotta respect how she’s using her brand to occupy space and to shatter glass ceilings. She just released a new country album and the lore is that she felt unwelcomed in a CMA performance back in 2016. I don’t know country music, but I’m just so tired of the “we’re not racist but this ain’t country” soundbite when excluding so-called outsiders. I’m sure Beyoncé is not doing it out of charity (in fact it’s likely because the Country genre music is growing and she’s always been a calculating opportunist). Still, I gotta call a spade a spade and as a catty-gay I love this type of F U gestures — if this is what it takes to make America more inclusive then sign 👏 me 👏 up.

• Beyoncé – TEXAS HOLD ‘EM

Earlier this month I was complaining to Ian that some things I hear from some of my coworkers are downright off-putting, especially when they talk shit about San Francisco. Part of me wants to just flip out but moments like that is also a good indicator for how much pride I still have about my hometown. It’s not perfect and the city is going through various crisises at once, but like the awfully-drawn phoenix depicted in our city flag, I believe we can and will rise above it one day.

It was also around this time that I came across this amazing episode of Hidden Brain, where they talked about how pragmatic Abraham Lincoln was. Even though he didn’t always (and completely) agree with those around him, he kept those people close and just kept pushing for what he believed in (and took in wins however minuscule they might be). “If I’m trying to walk 100 steps, it’s worth walking 10 even if I can’t walk the other 90.”

• Hidden Brain: US 2.0: Lincoln’s Dilemma

And here’s the rest of it:

• The photos I took this month
• What’s worth remembering in March 2024
• Interesting enough to share but not interesting enough to talk about it:
  • 32 life lessons from a 72 year old
  • Mean Girls (2024) – Avantika sings “Sexy”
• Let’s not gatekeep. Here are some openings in my adjacent teams — all related to the Apple TV app one way or another. (Reply to this email if you’re interested or want to learn more!)
  • Sports Operations Project Manager
  • Video Engineering Program Manager, TV App Browse

Thanks for reading on this and being with me on this journey. You can check out past issues of Dear Friend, on my website.

Love wins