The warmer weather has arrived, and Sihlas is always ready, waiting, and anticipating an adventure. Within days, the trees have exploded with every shade of green. I never saw the movie nor read the book Fifty Shades of Grey, but I think I have a slight idea of what it's about. This got me thinking about a funny parody of a survivalist story called Fifty Shades of Green. Here is the cover for the adult comic book.
I recently returned to Instagram after a six-month hiatus. Wow, it is super addictive and can create such anxiety and depression. Before my break, I had gotten really good at keeping my daily screen time down to around an hour max. But within a day of returning, it blasted up to 2 hours and 49 minutes. Yikes! I found myself wanting to purchase things I really do not need, nor can afford.
Before jumping off in November, I was very active in watching the war in Gaza through the eyes of people on the ground. It's one of the amazing parts of technology—the ability to get firsthand accounts and see the truth beyond the big media lies. However, after returning and witnessing the absolute destruction of people and communities, I was thrown into a deep depression. It is absolutely shocking: bodies torn apart, children without parents wandering with nothing. It put my own situation into perspective and gave me a list of things to be grateful for.
If these people can continue to live day by day and find the power and strength to push forward with life, so can I. I was inspired by their bravery and human spirit. As a small treat to myself, I got a new organic cotton chore jacket in all three colors that I saw on instagram—one of the pockets can probably fit a pipe perfectly! Joke.
The beauty of getting older is that you don’t care as much. Let’s be honest, you care more. You care less about silly things that would occupy your mind for days. You care more about your mental health and well-being. You care more about your friends and family. You want to have vulnerable and real conversations about life, feelings, and just how to cope. I find that if I open that door with friends or strangers and let them know I will be the first to walk into that weird space of vulnerability, exposing and revealing my true self and feelings, they too will feel that they can let their guard down. This can ease some of the tension and weird conversations that they only have with themselves in their head.
To realize that we are all a bit messed up and do not have our lives perfectly together is great. It is the opposite of what we are taught and what we see on all the glowing rectangles. This week, give it a try. Maybe there is someone that you kind of know or a very close friend or family member. Let them know that you are having some messed-up thoughts or how certain things make you uncomfortable in the way the world is currently spinning out of control. Let them share, and listen. Take the time to listen. See what happens.
Even AI prompts can be uncomfortable. Scroll back up and read the caption under the tree hugger image. I think I broke the AI’s brain when I asked for a man to be hugging and kissing a tree erotically. All the images I received were of women. AI knows men are not out there hugging and kissing trees. They are not capable of that type of affection. Check the image of the man and its prompt. Where is the crying?
He does have a cool haircut. I might grow my hair out. He looks happy. If I get that type of pipe and grow my hair out and have a shiny shirt like that I might be happy. I might have friends to laugh with. See how the cycle works.
I created this video and music over four months ago. I want to feel light and inspired. I want to start creating again. I can feel the incubation of creativity and light pushing to the surface. I hope that you can also find some light. I hope you have light; I hope that light will protect you.
Light & Love, MM
EAR HOLES: I have been digging on these guys recently. They have been slowly moving forward and are really starting to gather the attention they deserve.
EYE HOLES: I made this two years ago. It really resonates at the moment.