I’m recovering from a flu and watching John Wick, a movie about a man who goes on a revenge spree because an asshole kills the puppy his late wife gave him.
I love this—doing the extravagantly useless, pointlessly interesting, things is what makes life meaningful! the things that don't scale, seem to have no potential for for financial gain…and yet they feel so instinctively interesting and obscurely important to our lives.
It's a relief to pursue those things instead of constantly suppressing them because they're "useless"…sometimes we can't know what value they'll bring to us in the future
This was extraordinary! I get so disheartened when I think of life as a long line of to-do lists and safe commitments. (And course that’s important too, we can’t live without some practicality). But the things that most excite and engage me tend to not make sense (or money, ha-ha) and I love this reminder that pursuing joy in ‘useless’ pursuits is something we shouldn’t be ashamed of. Nothing you love can ever be a waste of time. Our lives aren’t meant to be leveraged into bullet points of ‘I did this to get this’. It’s a bigger and richer world than that.
This is such a good quote!!!! TYSM for introducing me to it: "Nabokov was right to say that a book is either for the bedside table or for the waste-paper basket: either you enjoy passionately its company—so much so, that you cannot bear to part from it; or it does not mean much to you, and you should not be wasting your time with it."
This piece resonated with me immensely, and articulates so well something I’ve been trying to understand and allow myself to explore and embody the last several months. I’ve lived a large portion of my adult life working towards checking off boxes; getting a degree, a good job, buying a house, getting married. Yet, none of it’s brought me joy in the way that giving myself the opportunity to explore wherever my mind takes me has. Thank you, for so gracefully putting words to where my head has been lately.
I've become so lost on what I am passionate about and what I want to pursue career-wise, and in turn have lost a general excitement and meaning for life. But this... I'm at a loss for words. It's comforted me and has made me feel something where I've otherwise felt myself turning emotionless. Thank you.
Wow, thank you so much for this. "The heart of uselessness, I think, is love." I'm joining a group tomorrow for accountability on creative projects, trudging my way back to writing when I know it's something I love so much that I totally put away like it's dessert for later, later, later. This was a touching encouragement to keep going, as slowly as it looks, or as free-falling as it does!
Ugh this is so powerful and it validated me, thank you. Truly, I also started my tapes from musings. That’s all they still are and i value them because I enjoy writing them. I’ve always rejected anything that causes me to gauge them for their usefulness because that will turn a precious thing untrue. I write them when an arrow hits my heart and I write out all I feel. I thoroughly enjoy seeing people who share similar fundamental truths with me, that is hope that my love will save me, so again thank you.
I love this—doing the extravagantly useless, pointlessly interesting, things is what makes life meaningful! the things that don't scale, seem to have no potential for for financial gain…and yet they feel so instinctively interesting and obscurely important to our lives.
It's a relief to pursue those things instead of constantly suppressing them because they're "useless"…sometimes we can't know what value they'll bring to us in the future
This was extraordinary! I get so disheartened when I think of life as a long line of to-do lists and safe commitments. (And course that’s important too, we can’t live without some practicality). But the things that most excite and engage me tend to not make sense (or money, ha-ha) and I love this reminder that pursuing joy in ‘useless’ pursuits is something we shouldn’t be ashamed of. Nothing you love can ever be a waste of time. Our lives aren’t meant to be leveraged into bullet points of ‘I did this to get this’. It’s a bigger and richer world than that.
Anyway blah blah, thank you for the post :)
This was really good.
this is so beautiful. i have nothing to say.
This is such a good quote!!!! TYSM for introducing me to it: "Nabokov was right to say that a book is either for the bedside table or for the waste-paper basket: either you enjoy passionately its company—so much so, that you cannot bear to part from it; or it does not mean much to you, and you should not be wasting your time with it."
Saving this to read it, again and again, at my days to lovingly do useless things.
This piece resonated with me immensely, and articulates so well something I’ve been trying to understand and allow myself to explore and embody the last several months. I’ve lived a large portion of my adult life working towards checking off boxes; getting a degree, a good job, buying a house, getting married. Yet, none of it’s brought me joy in the way that giving myself the opportunity to explore wherever my mind takes me has. Thank you, for so gracefully putting words to where my head has been lately.
you know what, you. are. so. right!
I've become so lost on what I am passionate about and what I want to pursue career-wise, and in turn have lost a general excitement and meaning for life. But this... I'm at a loss for words. It's comforted me and has made me feel something where I've otherwise felt myself turning emotionless. Thank you.
Immediately sent to two of my close friends who are figuring it out by trying new things. Thank you for this beautiful piece
Love this, needed this! ❤️
So, so good.
"The things you do for themselves are the only things worth doing - because the value of all other things is merely derived."
Wow, thank you so much for this. "The heart of uselessness, I think, is love." I'm joining a group tomorrow for accountability on creative projects, trudging my way back to writing when I know it's something I love so much that I totally put away like it's dessert for later, later, later. This was a touching encouragement to keep going, as slowly as it looks, or as free-falling as it does!
Ugh this is so powerful and it validated me, thank you. Truly, I also started my tapes from musings. That’s all they still are and i value them because I enjoy writing them. I’ve always rejected anything that causes me to gauge them for their usefulness because that will turn a precious thing untrue. I write them when an arrow hits my heart and I write out all I feel. I thoroughly enjoy seeing people who share similar fundamental truths with me, that is hope that my love will save me, so again thank you.
This is really well said.
I live for the unshakeable happiness gained from being useless doing useless things.
This was absolutely brilliant, Ava.