An Idea
Being an adult is hardly ever what you expected it to be. Nora’s shares a poem by her friend, the writer Kate Baer, about enjoying life regardless.
You can find Kate’s poetry and other work on her website.
“It’s Going To Be OK” is a daily podcast from Feelings and Co. Each morning, we bring you a short story, essay, or interview about one thing that makes us (or our guests) feel like it might not all be so bad – even if some things are. Share your OK thing at 612.568.4441 or by emailing IGTBO@feelingsand.co.
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The IGTBO team is Nora McInerny, Megan Palmer, Claire McInerny, Marcel Malekebu, Amanda Romani and Michelle Plantan.
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The transcript for this episode can be found here.
Find all our shows and our store at www.feelingsand.co.
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Transcripts may not appear in their final version and are subject to change.
INTRO MUSIC
Sometimes I am blown away by how little adult life resembles what I saw in movies growing up. I do not live in a palatial home like every family in a John Hughes movie. My life has none of the effortless charm of a Nora Ephron movie and my kitchen would make Nancy Meyers die. I eat a lot of fritos and not a lot of beautiful Martha Stewart meals. My work life is not in a glamorous high rise office building where my male coworker who gets under my nerves is secretly in love with me! It’s mostly just me sitting alone in loose pants and jumping onto zoom calls 5-8 minutes late. Sometimes, at night, when I attempt to do the very LIGHT journaling I practice, I think…what did I do today?
Because for me, today is a lot like yesterday which was a lot like the day before and a lot like tomorrow will probably be.
And I am not complaining because I love what I call a consistent experience. I’ll stay in the same brand of hotel because I know what the pillows will feel like and that the detergent they use won’t turn my eyeballs bright red. I’ll eat the same thing for lunch for months because hey, I like it.
And I don’t think that life has to be filled with over the top experiences to be enjoyed…we just have to give ourselves the chance to enjoy the experiences we have. Not all of them. If you’re prepped for a colonoscopy I’m not asking you to enjoy spending 12 hours glued to a toilet seat and if you’re a kid listening to this…ask your parents about colonoscopies later. Specifically if they’ve had one, which they should!
Anyway. I’m going to read you a poem today. And you can’t stop me. Unless you press pause on this.
It’s by Kate Baer, who I love as a person and a poet.
It’s called An Idea.
I will enjoy this life. I will open it
Like a peach in season, suck the juice
From every finger, run my tongue over my chin. I will not worry about cliches
or uninvited guests peering in my windows.
I will love and be loved. Save and be saved
A thousand times. I will let the want into my body, bless the heat under my skin.
My life, I will not waste it. I will enjoy this life.
And so will you. That’s an order.
OUTRO MUSIC
CREDITS