Half Thoughts | 01
and other things floating across my desk
We're trying something new here since I inadvertently bailed on Instagram yet again. Between the shift away from square photos that irreparably altered the feel of the platform and the whining over tariffs, the whole scene became too dang annoying.
However! It turns out I still want to share all of the weird little things but without all the noise. So we're going to try this and see if it sticks. You may be reading the one and only installment of Half Thoughts or the first of many. Only time will tell!
Here we go.
one | how words and phrases spread through society
Lately I’ve been pondering how words and phrases spread through society, a phenomenon that long predates the internet yet has been accelerated by it. “Cool beans!” was uttered by my friends from various parts of the country during our teen years in the mid-nineties. Was it plastered on the cover of Seventeen or YM for all of us to parrot? I have no photo evidence, but assume this was the case.
Not all of us who gathered around the Michigan beach bonfires that were a staple of my youth had subscriptions or scanned the racks in the grocery checkout. Yet teenagers from across the country who flocked to their cottages for the summer shared the same phrases. Even if we didn't at the start, we certainly did by the time August rolled around.
The term that has me puzzling over this is “everyday carry.” Until a few months ago, I don’t recall ever having heard it. Now I encounter it on a regular basis, sometimes multiple times a day. What gives? Is it trending on TikTok? When did "everyday carry" (or "EDC" as the cool kids call it) come onto the scene? YouTube videos seem to splash it on their thumbnails as far back as five years ago.
In trying to answer this question, I was met with articles that informed me that it dates back to Ancient Egyptians and the time of hunter-gatherers. Yeah, I'm sure those folks were swapping stories around the fire of their EDCs. I'm not convinced. I don't need a lecture on your commonplace journal either. Just put the same things in your bag and call it a day. Not everything needs a clickbaitable name.
When “living rent free” in someone’s head took social media by storm, I had to laugh. There’s little chance that AOC was listening to Rush Limbaugh in the nineties when he coined the term in reference to Obama. So how did it catch on in left leaning circles?
At times our habits and mannerisms feel like a sinister version of Simon Says where a mysterious entity (voiced by Mr. Moviefone) sees how far they can push us. “Simon says, adopt this phrase.” Will do! Cool beans!
two | we need more shows like this
Heart. Humor. Friendship. An incredible knack for callbacks. Hardly a hint of a woke agenda.
Ted Lasso is proof there are writers alive today capable of this high-wire act.
Please hire them.
As we rewatch seasons one and two of this terrific show, I'm constantly struck by the pleasantness of the whole thing. The dialogue is tight and hilarious without cramming the latest political message down our throats with every line. I'm crossing my fingers this doesn't change in season three. If it does, don't tell me. I want to be disappointed in real time.
In related news, our aggressively loud coffee grinder that rumbles with a growl now holds the moniker Roy Kent. The real question, should its decaf companion be named Keeley or Jamie Tartt?
three | soft feet, at long last
Have you ever worn a hole in your linen sheets because your feet are too scratchy? Yeah, no. Me neither. Who does that? [looks around evasively]
Save for the moments that I'm stepping out of the house to run into town, my feet are without shoes. This barefoot existence can lead to unsightly heels, particularly in the winter. (I'm putting it mildly.) Granted, physical limitations have hindered any ongoing maintenance. But all that has changed thanks to one tiny, textured, glass bar.
Ranking up there with regaining the stamina to wash my face, the introduction of the Foot File from Bare Hands into my life is one of the many small ways I'm continuing to feel like me again — one layer of dead skin at a time. Never underestimate the confidence that comes from being able to care for yourself.
four | quickly shift the energy of a room
I keep thinking that there's more to this notion of quickly shifting energy and that I need to elaborate. But there isn't. This is it. Any of these three methods works almost instantly.
• Open a window. (Doors work too.)
• Vacuum! (Bonus points for deeper cleaning.)
• Swap your art. (The impact is amazing.)
five | coming to a mailbox near you
Two things happened. I discovered a stack of unused postcards from my days of constant travel, and I stumbled across an essay titled "A Year of Magical Thanking."(This all happened while unsuccessfully trying to determine if the handwriting on Big Salad is a font or that of
.) The essay describes daily handwritten notes as part of the year long "thank-you campaign" of .Related, no? While I can't commit to anything on a daily basis, a swarm of thank you notes being released into the world like a billow of butterflies seems quite doable.
Speaking of mail… have you seen the new Goodnight Moon stamps!? I want to send letters for the sheer sake of using them. They would also be super cute to frame for a kid's room (or your own). When my dad picked up a sheet for me, the woman behind the counter asked, "Are these for your granddaughter?" They were not.
six | celebrate your friends' wins
Back in my LA days when my friends and I were still establishing ourselves in our careers, we used to throw parties every time a friend's song was picked up for a hit series. Gathered in a small apartment, we eagerly waited for the forty second clip to appear midway through an episode.
We showed up to gigs and other performances to ensure our friends weren't playing to a lackluster audience. We attended book launches and added a signed copy of the recently penned work to our shelves. We hosted salons so our friends could try out new material before debuting it to the world.
Over the years, our lives veered in different directions. Many of us moved away. The convenience of piling onto the couch to listen to a song airing in the latest episode of Grey's Anatomy faded. (Is that show even still running?) Now we share our enthusiasm in other ways, no less significant with lack of proximity.
One of the distinct upsides of our current digital landscape is that it's easier than ever to cheer for the accomplishments of friends and shout it from the proverbial rooftop. Welcome to my rooftop. Congrats to my friend Ulrica on her latest single. Cue the trumpets!! Start the fanfare! Note my palpable enthusiasm. Pretend that we're blasting her song on repeat from the loud speakers in person. Feel free to crank up the volume and do this in your own home.
bonus | credit where credit is due
Inspiration for the idea and format of this list came from
of Empty Calories and her "Small Talk" segment. For an excellent sampling of the machinations of her mind, read "I Love Stalking People on Spotify …and Venmo and Pinterest." To Lisa, a hearty thank you! I've been looking for a place to slot all of these ruminations that have yet to develop into fully formed thoughts.
double bonus | while we're on the topic
Read this — Where'd You Get That? "Curating", Laziness, and Erasure on Substack.
expertly critiques the cultural veer into complete lack of citation running rampant on the internet.Stay tuned to see if there's a second installment or if this is just a flash in the pan.
P.S. You may have seen a few of these scratchings in Substack Notes, but let's be real. Who reads those? To the three people who do, hi!! Please pardon my repetition.
thank you for finding me and shouting out my thank you year! and hey if you want extra thank you note inspo I wrote a book about my year: https://www.ginahamadey.com/books
Love, love, love Ted Lasso. Also went through a scratchy heels phase (not sure how it passed, lol)—it catching on the sheets when I slept was so eww and weird, so I appreciate the recommendation when