Solo

Scarcity vs. Plenitude

A while ago my mother told me that I would never make it through a real crisis, because I didn’t store enough food. She may have been thinking of her own experience as a young girl on a family farm during the depression. She did have food, but lacked other necessities. I am urban. She would be happy to know that I have extended my days of food stocking to 12 days, but I have not been able to reach 2 weeks. Having enough is what I believe I have always enjoyed and this is the first time I have doubted that belief.

The cupboard is almost empty. I’ve reached the grits my southern friend left me. Grits are tasty with cheddar cheese and pepper. However, the cheese is gone, but the grits remain. There are some older apples and I make them into applesauce with a touch of hazelnut spread from Sicily. Interesting, eh? The hazelnut spread was a gift from my sister from her trip to the Mediterranean. It is better than it sounds.

Finding your Voice

Navigating solo has been my way of life since 2015. During my day I look for good books to read and films to watch and one stray eye is occasionally on the news. There is a series on Netflix called “Unorthodox.” I believe that many religions share a propensity toward fundamentalism. It is what happens when we stifle most specifically the voice of women. I grew up an Evangelical, so I know some of the characteristics of what “rule by law” looks like.

In this series the character “Esty” (short for Esther) flees a Hasidic community in Williamsburg for Berlin. For 7 years, I lived in Fort Greene next to Williamsburg. Many days I would watch Hasidic families playing in Fort Greene Park before Shabbat. They all looked happy in the park. But Esty is very unhappy and flees to Berlin, where she meets other young people who share her love of life and music. Quickly Berlin becomes a metaphor for modernity and freedom for Etsy and all of us as well. Ironically, I was supposed to be in Berlin right now, but that will have to wait.

Blossoms: the Cherry Tracker

It is April and I look forward to my old, gnarly cherry tree bursting into bloom. The ocean is still cold and the wind biting. Blossoms will appear in a couple weeks and they will remain a week or so in full bloom. According to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s (photo above) “Cherry Tracker,” the first blossoms in Brooklyn have officially bloomed.

In honor of spring, I have taken the liberty of buying some fresh herbs and succulents to plant in pots on my porch. Some of them I will give away to return kindnesses bestowed on me during this time. These little jobs breathe life into me and become small comforts in this time of uncertainty.

In conclusion I give you this wonderful message from HIAS for Passover 2020. Out of this time of suffering comes a message of giving and compassion. Happy Passover and a Blessed Holy Week to all my friends.