the awakening

This is a part of an anthology, the in-between, on how people live a life and what a good life means to them.I'm always in wonder of my friends and community. My conversation with Dena was one of those moments. Our conversation explores how their existential dread came at the same time as their questioning of an inherited religion, and how its lead to restructuring of their life to their definition of a good life- focused on being loving, community, and purpose framed as finding and stepping into their talents. What struck me in our conversation was Dena’s persistence and optimistic willingness to find their purpose despite the vastness of the universe. Or as Dena says “ I'm like slowly building a new foundation and it's feeling more solid. And so because I have some sort of like understanding of how I feel the world works. It feels a bit less terrifying.” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit meghanaravikumar.substack.com

This is a part of an anthology, the in-between, on how people live a life and what a good life means to them.Join Erin and me as we discuss a (creative) life, absurdism, the afterlife, and finding a truth. Or, as Erin puts it, “I remember being 7 years old and walking into a room and saying to some adults ‘wow, did you know we’re all going to die one day and we can do anything we want?’” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit meghanaravikumar.substack.com

i was a part of the performing arts showcase alongside LOTUS BOY, Marwa Doost, Kim Requesto, and SF Adavu (such cool artists) for Kearny Street Workshop’s APAture 2023 and it was amazing! if you’re in the bay, highly recommend going to support all the AMAZING AAPI artists showcased at all of the APAture events. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit meghanaravikumar.substack.com

Some things have resonated really strongly with me the last few weeks and I just wanted to share them. Maybe they resonate with you too, dear friend.I prefer the ocean to the pool, the vast turbulence over restricted stagnancy, I prefer authentic pleasures to the ones I was taught to yearn, I prefer yearning to satisfaction, I prefer smudges to clean lines, I prefer writing to painting, and dancing to writing, I do not prefer my Roomba, for it promises me everything but delivers nothing, I prefer to be a Warrior Goddess to a martyr, as warriors choose, and Goddesses rest, I prefer the color blood red, for it screams, "watch out world," I prefer my body as my home to living in my brain, I prefer the Sun, for we are solar powered, I prefer the Universe as a generous, playful sneaky bitch, "I prefer [you] to cauliflowers (Woolf p.3)" The structure for the poem above is derived from “Possibilities” by Wisława Szymborska. A short and lovely readMy citations skills are a little rusty, the last line of the poem above is derived from Mrs.Dalloway by Virginia Woolf, where Peter Walsh claims “I prefer men to cauliflowers.”Much love,M This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit meghanaravikumar.substack.com

What a joy it is, What a thrill it is, to feel the breeze, to be warmed by the Sun, to awaken to, a single chirp, a melody, building, crescendoing, a chorus, what a delight, to hear the, hum, hum, hum, of the bumblebee pirouetting, flitting and flying, with the flirtatious blooms, how the blooms dance, no, DANCE, movement their language, the world their stage, a single, tumbling, mumbling, fumbling, into a vast landscape, a lush blanket of, soft delectable spirals, shoots that touch the sky, bursts of bright green, oozing to gold, interrupted by eruptions of, playful lilacs, breezy poppies, thrilling blue-eyes, adorned, by the, hum, hum, hum, of the bumblebee, attended, by, the patter of chatter, the bustle of hustle, the commotion of motion, the Hunch of winter finally shaken, as the sun rollicks, the wind frolics, the ocean limericks, to the, hum, hum, hum, of the bumblebee, this thread, expanding, engulfs, enraptures, captivates, ruthlessly boring, crooning, it calls, I answer, I am, Awake This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit meghanaravikumar.substack.com

Murder of Roger Ackroyd, chapter 2 by Agatha Christie. Podcast rendition by meeee This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit meghanaravikumar.substack.com

Chapter 1 of The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie. tune in next week (or in 2 weeks) for chapter 2 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit meghanaravikumar.substack.com