Wed. May 7, 2025: Disgusted by the Apathy
image courtesy of CARLOS FERNANDO MEDELLIN via pixabay.comWednesday, May 7, 2025
Waxing Moon
Pluto Retrograde
Cloudy and cool
I was out of the house in the terrible rain early on, and got to the mechanic on time. Oil change was no problem –but I need to get new brakes and new tires. Brakes will be first, as soon as I get the final payment of the ghostwriting project. So, probably next week. Tires will have to happen over time. Neither are urgent, but they are recommended as sooner rather than later. Let’s hope the ghostwriting client hires me for at least a few more jobs so I can get it done!
Came home, glad the car runs so much better, worried about the needed repairs. I CAN cover the brakes, and I’m grateful, but that means I lose the cushion I had for June. So it’s back to pitching and LOIs.
The painters were here by the time I got back, because the rain had let up, at least for a little bit, and since they’d lost two days, they were falling behind. I didn’t have the energy to pack up and leave, so I just buckled down and fought through it, ending up with a migraine.
Did another pass on the ghostwriting revision. Sent it off, because I think they will need me to do some more tweaks when I questioned how they wanted certain notes executed. Since I know they want this to go into production this week, I figured if I sent it early, I could turn around another set of revisions the same afternoon – if they get it back to me quickly.
Read a draft of the first act of a friend’s script, which is huge fun! Can’t wait to read what comes next. Contacted the book review editor to see if anything came in, and got my next assignment. Didn’t dare to start anything substantial in case I had to turn around last revisions on the ghostwriting, but didn’t get them, so. . .
Went through some research books for a couple of projects. The one I hoped would work for the radio play does not. Sigh. Sourced most of the border fabric for the textile project – in budget!
Got my act together and walked up to gentle yoga. It was raining when I left, but stopped by the time I got there. It was a small class, but the old regulars, which was nice to catch up and then do yoga together. By the time I left, it stopped raining completely and was a soft spring night, so it was a lovely walk home.
Cooked dinner, a new-to-me recipe from a favorite cookbook, and it worked well. Although it was another pasta recipe, and now all leftovers are pasta variations. Um, I think I might have to come up with something using rice or potatoes in between!
The director of MASS MoCA put out a strong statement about That Thing pulling NEA funds that were already granted, as part of That Thing’s determination to dismantle the NEA completely. NEFA and Mass Humanities also put out strong statements. Several people (across multiple points of contact and platforms) moaned about how horrible it all is. Yeah, it’s bad. But what are YOU, as an INDIVIDUAL, DOING about it? If we are going to survive this, EVERY one of us has to do something EVERY DAY. Even if it’s a little thing from home that you worry is inconsequential – it isn’t. It matters, and it adds up to something big. I’m tired of the moaning and expecting “someone else” to do something. Get off your privileged ass, show up, and do the work. Especially since these organizations have the information about how and where you can show up and do the work. There are so many structures already in place, and winning battles in this long fight. Find one and do some damn work. Use your skills and talents to do more than moan and shrug about how horrible it is and then go about your day as though nothing’s happened. There are many things that need to be done, and many skills are needed. DO SOMETHING. Plenty of organizations set up structures way back in the first round of the regime, and there were plenty of organizations doing the work since Reagan and before. You don’t have to start your own organization. There are plenty of organizations with solid structures and plans already out there. Find one and DO SOMETHING.
If you claim you don’t know where to start, it means you’re either not looking very hard, or people don’t trust you with the information. If it’s the latter, take a good hard long look at yourself as to why.
Read a little at night. Still no word on if they need more work on the ghostwriting. Guess I’ll find out today.
Since the painters are bound to come by and work today, I will pack up and work offsite, probably in one location for the morning, come back and eat lunch, then another in the afternoon. I’ll take my materials for the ghostwriting with me, in case I have to do more work on it.
If I don’t, I will focus on the radio play, VICIOUS CRITIC, and maybe start drafting the new anthology story. Plus finish the artist-in-residence application that needs to go out. It’s in pretty good shape. I think it will be fine with a couple of tweaks.
There’s another position I’m interested in opening locally, but I’m not sure the timing is right. It’s stepping into a role someone I know left, and with three of my own shows coming up in six weeks and August committed to the gallery show, I’m not sure I could give this position what it needs, especially if it doesn’t pay (I’m assuming it’s unpaid, although it was originally part of a larger, salaried position). It would be a stronger foot in the door with this organization, which I would like, into paid work, but I don’t know if I could navigate the interim. And two people have left the position since January, which sets off warning bells, too.
So I will think about it, and maybe get some more information. I don’t want to pass up a wonderful opportunity. I also don’t want to overcommit, especially if I’m not being financially compensated. I have to make sure I’m earning enough not to just get by, but to navigate what’s coming. I already have certain blocks of uncompensated time committed, and I hesitate to add more.
Right now, I can’t think about anything, because some jackass is out there with a chainsaw working my last nerve. There is zero reason anyone needs a chainsaw in this neighborhood, and it makes me want to rip it away from him and use it on him. I won’t, in real life, although I may expand out of my writing comfort zone to do something like that on paper.
The painters will arrive momentarily. I need to eat breakfast, then pack up and get to somewhere quiet.
After I take out the garbage! Got to get the basic chores done, no matter what.
Have a good one.
