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5 Quick Things #295 π
wonder, walkability, real communities, & lasting for a thousand years
Hi there,
Iβm writing you from a dark hotel room, sleeping family around meβlater this morning weβll make our final few miles up the road to our oldestβs new home for this next school year. I tell you, Iβm feeling ALL THE FEELINGS right now about all this, including sleep deprivation (hence why Iβm writing this)β¦ I havenβt slept well this entire week. Really, month.Β
Iβm so thrilled for Tate and whatβs all in store for her! Truly. And I love where sheβs going; itβs a great fit for her. And yetβ¦ Yeah.Β
Thankfully, weβve got a lot of practical things to do this weekend βΒ moving into a dorm leads to lots of errands, set-up, fixing of things, carrying heavy stuff, campus tours and meetings, and navigating a new town. Itβs a fun weekend!
St. Monica, pray for us.
5 Quick Things βοΈ
(Iβm doing something a little different this weekβ¦ Because this week is SO crammed full, Iβm pulling from the back catalog of 5QT and re-sharing some links Iβve liked in the past. With almost 1,500 good things shared, youβve probably missed a thing or two, or if youβre like me, youβve forgotten you read it and could use the reminder anyway. π)
1.Β π» From the archives of A Drink With a Friend: The Genesis of Gender π» What does it mean to be a man or a woman? And just as important in today's culture, how do we have civil, truthful, loving conversations about that topic? Seth and I chat with author and professor Abigail Favale to talk about all this and more. She's written a book that's taking off like wildfire about one of the most pressing questions of the day: Who are we as men and women?
2. Does our technology-everywhere world limit our human capacity and drive for wonder? I think so. No longer do we need to sit with our thoughts while we wait in line, and we donβt need to let a curiosity go unanswered. βWonder is what happens when we unexpectedly apprehend the marvellous quality of the ordinary.β I've been slowly mulling on these thoughts, which I think is the right thing to do regarding the topic of wonder.
3. I am fascinated with small towns, urban planning, and human-scale living (i.e., walkability), and I enjoy a good nerding out on learning why certain places hold more livable appeal than others. Thereβs something near-universal about our natural desire to live in thoughtfully and in community β this is an interesting exploration about why a little Florida town works as well as it does.
4.Β Myles Werntz (whoβs written a guest piece here on The Commonplace) said on his own Substack what Iβve wanted to put into words but couldnβt. βAre online communities communities? Until further notice, Iβm staying with no, for a few reasons.β What makes IRL an actual community, something the internet canβt replace?
5. And finally, beautiful cinematography, beautiful project, beautiful lives, beautiful message about authenticity βΒ βif it looks like a stone wall it needs to be a stone wall. β¦I want the janitorβs closet to be beautiful.β
Currently Reading, Watching, Listening π»
The Sounds Like Home playlist I made for Tate
Quotable π¬
βWe have two lives, and the second begins when we realize we only have one.β
- Confucius
What was your favorite subject in high school? π©βπ«
Boy, weβre just birds of a feather around here, arenβt we? #booknerds
Find this weekβs poll here.
Coming THIS WEEK! π«
First Light & Eventide officially releases this Tuesday, on August 29:
Order your new journal now to start a habit of examen and gratitude.
Quick Links π
π¬π· Join Me in Greece: June 20-30, 2024
Question(s) For You to Ponderβ¦ π€
What one previous day would you re-live, just to soak it in?
Have a great weekend,
- Tsh
p.s. A list of really great, currently living artists of faith.