The View Down The Long Border Early In The Morning - Francis Hamel

"Evening In Blue"

Mark Grantham, Canadian

acrylic on canvas

this is happening to me for a reason. i do understand that it's happening because i haven't fully reached the potential of being at full peace with myself, my existence in this world, as i am. that as long as i search for that peace in other people it will keep happening to me again and again. that as long as i don't let go of wanting to be in control over this, it will keep happening to me.

i need men to stop treating me like i'm the best thing that has ever happened to them, make me trust them, and then drop me when things get inconvenient. in fact i just need men to stay away from me, period.

if you can and want to, go to college when you’re 30. move out at 40. learn to drive at 50. life is short but it is also so long. it’s not too late to do new things.

the problem i run into men, without fail, is trying to talk to them like i talk to women and realizing that even the most conscious and progressive and evolved man just cannot reach me at the depth that women can. i want and expect that depth and complexity every time, but i need to let it go. i still enjoy talking to a handful of men, it’s not like it’s all horrible and boring—there’s fun and charm there. it’s just different.

The "kids are on their damn phones all the time" conversation has changed in an extremely significant way and I'm not sure people realize it. When kids had flip phones, and even in the early days of smartphones, kids were using their phones to text each other. It was part of an active social life. Now they're using their phones more and more to consume content from influencers or other accounts. It's more passive and it's increasingly what people are doing instead of socializing with each other. This applies to adults too, I just keep thinking about high school students.

sometimes you have to let certain feelings just pass through you. you feel it, then you let it go. you don’t hold on and you don’t act on it. it’s just visiting you for a moment and doesn’t have to mean much more