5x1: freedom, strife, and rest (but ferociously)

Hey there. Welcome to 5x1 – 5 quick things to get you feeling the present moment.

1. A quote about freedom and saving yourself

If you’re working for freedom, you’re not alone. You’re always working for others too. So says Simone de Beauvoir in The ethics of ambiguity, her terrific book about exisentialism:

To will oneself free is also to will others free. This will is not an abstract formula. It points out to each person concrete action to be achieved.

2. A poem about finding happiness in ordinary things

Sometimes, you need a bit of delightful twee in your life. This poem – The orange by Wendy Cope – delivers that.

At lunchtime I bought a huge orange—

The size of it made us all laugh.

I peeled it and shared it with Robert and Dave—

They got quarters and I got a half.


And that orange, it made me so happy,

As ordinary things often do

Just lately. The shopping. A walk in the park.

This is peace and contentment. It's new.


The rest of the day was quite easy.

I did all the jobs on my list

And enjoyed them and had some time over.

I love you. I'm glad I exist.

via Flagrant, one of the best basketball publications around.

3. A song to sing loudly and triumphantly

So this is love by Cash Savage and the Last Drinks is one of my favourite songs to bellow. It starts slow but damn does it build. Perfect for highways and doing the dishes.

I've got a big love / I can't hold it, I can't hold it.

If you'd prefer something more cathartic and angry, check out their track “Push”.

4. A print to keep you going

I have Even the ferocious must rest by Judy Kuo – an Asian-Australian unionist, artist and activist – on my office wall. Always a useful reminder.

5. A book to help you plan your next move

12 rules for strife by Jeff Sparrow and Sam Wellman is a self-described "handbook for change". It’s a practical guide to direct action. Fantastically illustrated, too.

Coming up: an article about practical ways to think about the future (featuring a bit more Simone de Beauvoir).

See ya next week with 5 more terrific things.

🌊

cz xxo

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