sweeter / covid updates
I’ve found it difficult to write lately, especially on this public space on the internet. My life is moving forward—I just moved out, my work has continued, my projects have continued, I find moments of stillness in sunset gradients as I always have. Protests for racial justice have taken the political stage, COVID-19 continues to rock the nation, and I continue to ponder my place in all of it. I attended my first Black Lives Matter protest (Roxbury, MA) in 2014, perhaps my first real experience in making an effort to understand and empathize with the real life injustices of America. The energy of that crowd is difficult to forget, and I have, since then, continuously made an effort to reflect on my own internal biases and engage in self-educational efforts to understand the nuances of inequality beyond overt racism. If you’re interested, here are some of the books I have found helpful so far in building layers of understanding of American history and society through different genres! If you have any that you think would be helpful for me, please share.
The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
Notes of a Native Son by James Baldwin
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row by Anthony Ray Hinton
When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir by Patrisse Khan-Cullors
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
The Cooking Gene: A Journey Through African American Culinary History in the Old South by Michael Twitty
Angela Davis, Ibram X. Kendi, and The New Jim Crow are on my list.
The state of COVID-19 is also absurd to think about. As case counts continue to rise, I see people throughout Orange County blatantly (and often proudly) walking about in public disregarding Gov Newsom’s statewide order for masks. There are observable racial divides between what groups of people will respectfully wear masks, and what groups of people will declare masks a freedom-threatening nuisance that must be met with death threats towards public health officials who request their widespread use. It is horrifying to observe, but both of these issues prompts reflection on how we can better engage / change the opinions of those we find unreasonable.
I moved to Orange last week, a small city north of Irvine near the Anaheim Hills. We’re in a small one bedroom on the property of a larger house, and our landlord has a goat named Ginger. Ginger likes to run into the house when the door is open to say hello.
After more than 3 month of stay-at-home-orders, I am finding it increasingly suffocating to stay indoors for long periods of time. We went on a bike ride in Upper Newport a few weeks ago. The bike trails were pretty busy but feeling the ocean breeze was a welcome respite.
I’ve worked on far too many projects at once in the last month. One of them was building out a set of bookshelf speakers from a DIY kit. My paint job was a little janky, but they sound nicer than any speakers I’ve ever had. Since the last post, I’ve also done the following projects:
Built a TV console / speaker shelf
Built a coffee table
Reupholstered couch cushions
Built a standing desk and removable laptop stand
Built a keyboard stand + wrist rest
Soldered and assembled a USB-C cable
Soldered and assembled an aux cable
All of the projects are becoming a blur and maybe one day I will post photos of the finished house setup. Due to the small size and lack of shop space, I’ve decided that my future projects will be hand-tool only. I’ve relied a circular saw, router, jigsaw, and a random orbit sander on my projects, but I will be transitioning to a Japanese hand saw, some chisels, sandpaper, and a hand plane for future projects. When I first became interested in woodworking, I thought I would enjoy power tools and building large furniture pieces, but I’m realizing that taking my time, being more meditative and thoughtful with my work, not fearing dismembering myself, and not having to clean sawdust off every surface after cutting or sanding something sounds more appealing. In the next few weeks, I will be building out some bar stools, and a little floor workbench and toolbox for my hand tools. I have been enjoying this new hobby and making physical objects again. I’ve missed a film camera in my hand and open skies, but for now, I appreciate woodworking as an COVID-19-friendly hobby and a way to make a space feel more personal.
reflection questions
What’s the most memorable encounter you’ve had regarding race? Have you felt threatened? Have you felt privileged?
In what ways does race impact your personal life? Your professional life?
