On my heart this week.
Hello from my final night in New York City! It’s my first time in my hometown since last February and it feels deeply satisfying to be back. There are few places I’ve been that match the energy of this city, especially in the summertime. My wife and I have been in town celebrating a good friend’s birthday, ordering obscene amounts of takeout 🙃, and avoiding crowds.
I’ve been basking in high highs since we landed on Saturday but today I found myself haunted by the ghost of relationships past and feeling guilty, melancholic, and disappointed about some of my previously cherished bonds here that haven’t aged well. I sat with the feelings (read: moped around the apartment where we’re staying) and walked through the West Village unpacking them and running through three questions:
Does this need to be salvaged?
Has it run its course?
Can I leave it where it is?
Then I decided that instead of losing myself ruminating on what I’d lost, it made far more sense to embrace what I gained and be present to it.
As the four-word poem by @dr.kholi goes — Have what has you.
Gifts for your growth.
💎 Create Dangerously: Albert Camus on the Artist as a Voice of Resistance and an Instrument of Freedom
🚜 The team at Saloma Acres is building a dedicated Black equestrian and cultural space in Columbia, SC. They’ve secured 22 acres and are raising funds to cover infrastructure costs ahead of their opening on Small Business Saturday this November. If you ever find yourself daydreaming about safe communal spaces to play and seek refuge, learn more here.
Fuel for the week ahead.
🖊️ One of my favorite writers, Casey Gerald, penned this gorgeous profile on musician Leon Bridges ahead of the release of his latest album, Gold-Diggers Sound. It is quite possibly the most fantastic prose I’ve read so far this year.
🌳 Last Friday I joined CreativeMornings/NYC online for a special immersive event with Pop-up Magazine. They have this dope audio storytelling experience and art project called Field Guide themed around water, trees, and the night sky. 150+ folks gathered on Zoom to meditate on the trees experience together while we walked through our neighborhoods appreciating and sharing views of the trees around us. 10/10 would recommend: check it out.
🎧 🎶 This week’s Seven Bops playlist is the soundtrack to my 72-ish hour trip home. It feels like everything I love about summer in NYC. Listen to it on Apple Music or Spotify.
Have a great week y’all ❤️.
Love always,
HMKM
From Holley, With Love • Monday, 072621