10 Things: Taking Care
What to cook, listen to, watch, read, and do this week if you're feeling a little tender and cozy.
Happy Friday and welcome to a fresh crop of things that have been bringing me joy for the past two weeks. I have to be honest with you: for the past two weeks, I have been almost exclusively lying in bed, or hovering my head over a toilet, or crying weakly while re-watching “Parks and Rec” for the 39,000th time. Or scraping the bottom of my caretaking barrel to watch my daughter watch “Sesame Street.” Or crying weakly while re-watching “Gilmore Girls” for 98,000,000th time. There has been little space for newness. Nevertheless, there’re always a few sparkles, and I’ve painstakingly extracted them for you here. Enjoy!
1. The Ethics of Care
On a getting-to-know-you form this year a student asked me, “What is your solution to the trolley problem?” I hate the trolley problem and I always have; I hate ALL of those ethical math problems that a certain type of guy who also plays acoustic guitar loves to talk about over a “nice whiskey.” Recently, Luke shared with me that there might be a good reason that I, a person socialized female, would dislike ethical dilemmas like the trolley problem, and he pointed me to an episode of the podcast Philosophize This on The Ethics of Care, or Feminist Ethics. I found the episode to be totally mind-blowing, and if you aren’t acquainted with this branch of philosophy, I highly recommend this excellent primer. (I also learned that the Trolley Problem was written by a Phillipa Foot in 1967, as part of an analysis on the debates around abortion. Who knew?!)
2. This New York Times op-ed on the importance of student journalism.
I had no idea that a student newspaper was shut down in Nebraska over the publication of columns that acknowledged the LGBTQIA+ experience; I also didn’t realize that high school newspapers weren’t protected under the First Amendment. This is a good column with an obvious conclusion; the facts of the issue are important and worth reading about.
3. Children’s Robitussin
I have COVID, coming right after a weeklong stomach flu. My friend and writing partner Sammi recently recovered from it and she sent a care package of things that she had found helpful when she had COVID, including a bottle of children’s Robitussin, which is just honey and herbs in a bottle. I put it in some hot water and have found it to be the only thing that brings me pleasure and joy right now. When I found out I had given COVID to a friend, I immediately had some children’s Robitussin sent their way. Pay the ‘tussin forward.
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