Where did 2021 go?
It’s very cliche, I know, to say “How is it [insert month] already?” at the beginning of the month. Time passes! This happens every month! But 2021 seems to be moving especially fast. Perhaps it’s because 2020 moved so slowly: for much of the year, it felt like we were frozen in place, repeating the same motions over and over again, day after day.
2021, by comparison, has been more of a rollercoaster. There have been some limited returns to normal activities, but accompanied by the exhaustion of managing the constant calculus of figuring out what’s safe enough to do and what restrictions are in place and what everyone’s personal comfort levels are. There was the euphoria of the late spring and early summer when all American adults were finally eligible for the vaccine and it seemed like we were entering a post-pandemic summer, followed by the surge of the delta variant and a whole new set of things to worry about.
There’s been a sense this year that people are trying to make up for all the time lost in 2020, and especially after a year like 2020 that felt never-ending, it feels like time moved faster than ever in 2021, and we were all just scrambling to keep up. It reminds me of this piece from Rainesford Stauffer, published in July but still as relevant as ever, on why it feels like this year is going by so quickly and what to do about it. It’s worth a read again as we head into the final few weeks of 2021, our second pandemic year, and wonder where the time went.
Good things to read
A patriarchal tradition that just won’t budge, The Atlantic.
Inside the world of Buy Nothing, where dryer lint is a hot commodity, New York Times.
The hidden costs of living alone, The Atlantic.
Actually, everyone is thinking about you, Vice.
Kyrsten Sinema and the politics of a sleeveless silhouette, New York Times.
The unofficial rules of posting, Gawker. Pretty accurate IMO.
‘In this house’ yard signs and their curious power, New York Times.
The subtle look and overwhelming feel of today’s misogyny, Culture Study.
The 37-year-olds are afraid of the 23-year-olds who work for them, New York Times.
Words with friends: on the joys of tandem reading, Vogue.
How should we teach students about inequality? New York Times.
Slackers of the world, unite! The Atlantic.
It’s time to stop talking about generations, The New Yorker.
Good things to cook
I’m leaning into cozy, warm fall recipes and a lot of slow cooker stuff lately with the cold weather, so some recent faves include: slow cooker barbacoa, which went in these burrito bowls. Korean BBQ style meatballs, a fave of mine. Greek chicken salad. And of course, chili.
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