Floor Time
/flôr tīm/
noun
the 15-60 minute time period spent laying on the floor in the middle of the work day, typically as a relief from the soul-sucking reality of corporate America.
As much as I’m trying to lean into love and light, it’s hard not to feel the heaviness lately. I feel like you already know this, but we’re in a deeply dark timeline. So I just feel like I need to acknowledge that to remind myself that the people who read Floor Time, the people I surround myself with, and sensible people in general (like the ones in Wisconsin, yay you!) feel what I feel.
Even though it’s the season of life and bloom, I’ve been thinking a lot about grief. I used to work for a foundation that specialized in helping people cope in the face of grief of all kinds—whether it be the conventional use of the term (loss of a loved one), or grief for your health, relationships, or your past self. I’ve seen so much collective grief happen to us since I worked there (e.g. the LA fires, the pandemic, the recent election results), and it’s been a minute since I went through the exercise to name what I’m mourning. And I think doing so is the only way that any of us may start to know how to heal or at least make sense of *gestures broadly* it all. Life. Existing together in a society. Our relationship to one another. I don’t mean to be a downer (and because I’m me, many of these aren’t downers…), but I recently read this piece from Priya Parker’s newsletter and it feels like step 1 on the list, “name the ache” might just be what we need. I encourage you to try it on your own time, as writing this Floor Time made me feel a lot better. Hopefully, reading this will also give you the courage to start.
What I’m Mourning
Democracy, sensibility, justice
A time when I didn’t have to hear “Donald Trump” or “Elon Musk” on every news outlet every. single. day. When every news story is even more horrendous and disgusting than the last.
(Weirdly) Winter
After embracing my first season of snow sports and getting the hang of things (yeah, I’m still talking about it—let me live!!), all I want is to be back on the mountain.
Living with my best friends in college
I’m so happy that we all lead our own beautiful lives and have found great partners who can keep up—but damn, I miss girlhood. And I miss celebrating birthdays with them.
Youth
Knowing that a parent will cook you fresh congee when you’re sick. The feeling of reading a new Harry Potter book for the first time. Not knowing about taxes and not having to do them yourself. Being able to eat 3 helpings of pasta and salad at pre-swim meet pasta feeds as a teenager and a) not feel awful and b) literally remain the same weight.
Cable TV
I miss the days when you just had to watch whatever was on. And it would always be on from the middle. There was something so decisive and easy about it. No decision fatigue like, ever. That said, to this day, I don’t think I’ve ever seen the first 20 minutes of Forrest Gump. It took me years to finally see the start of Titanic.
Having access to the Scholastic book fair every year.
When TV scripts were as unhinged as Glee was in 2009.
Something I Thought of in the Shower
It’s crazy how much energy NY Mag and The Cut put into hating on Meghan Markle
Something for Clarice
Hey! This newsletter is free and I intend to keep it that way. That said, if you love it and want to show your appreciation, buy me a coffee :)
Something Pretty
When I first moved to San Francisco after college, I had a really hard time. If I had to name it, I was mourning the structure and certainty of being in school for my entire life (and as aforementioned, living with my best friends). It turned out that being an adult has a long adjustment period. But during those few years, I started buying fresh flowers every week—a practice my dad always maintained in my childhood home (those fresh flowers were from our garden, cutesy!). And I have found that this little luxury has a huge payoff. This week I put together this bushy spring arrangement, and every time I pass the living room, I feel a burst of serotonin. I even made a mini bouquet for my desk, so I can admire it while working. I can’t recommend this practice enough. (FYI this bouquet totaled $7.99).
Something Palette Cleanser-y
I have yet to watch “With Love, Meghan,” purely because I haven’t been watching much TV (I have only watched….an episode of this “White Lotus” season oop), but I have been seeing all the online content around it. Just let this woman live. Who cares? With everything else going on, I truly have so much respect for the escapist content she gives us. Reading this very uncontroversial, fluffy piece about Meghan’s new life was not unlike reading Ina Garten’s memoir, and it is a welcome break from all the world news.
By the way…I’m reading this.
Reading a viral book for once! It took me a second to get into The God of the Woods, but now it’s really picking up. I do wish I had waited until summer to read it because it’s super nostalgic for summer camp (but in a dark way?? we’ll see once I finish).
And I’m watching this.
Started “White Lotus.” It just makes me want a tropical vacation. Sigh.
Thanks for reading and hope you all have a great weekend!
‘Til next time, spring chickens. Your friend,
Clarice