I am so stressed about the world –
Tariffs for all! Lock them up! Shock and awe!
And my job, which was straightforward
a few weeks ago has been
infected by the insanity of 2025 –
a new year! a new you! a new build our
competitive advantage yesterday STAT…
And my life, which was
stripped down before
now has restrictions on all the things.
I’m a dog with an electric collar
shocked to twitching near the edge
of my tiny perfect (boring) lawn.
Invisible fence to others
who cock their head – what is wrong with her?
And because I am thinking about
(capital F) Friendship – HowWhyWhat??? – all the time
writing a book is an endless navel-gazey distortion
I am pushing my irritation into that space
because what else can I control…
not much it seems.
But, when I can get out
or shift to where the windows are
and crack them open,
I can
go where friendship is freely given
lean into how it is given and
accept it on its own user terms
– check the box, if you please –
that were created before this madness
or around this mad.
*Picture by me not AI, thanks.
The Friend Manual: How to make friends when you're bad at it 