Hello! from a new Guest Editor, and Finding Joy in Hardship.

Hello everyone,

My name is Milo, and I am a new guest editor here! You will see posts from me over the next few weeks, and possibly further along. Things like poems, short stories, and the like.

I have had several ideas on how I wanted to introduce myself — but unfortunately, I’ve been struck by the same grief I fear a lot of people have felt over the past few weeks, watching as legislation pours in that threatens my friends, my family, and myself. The uncertainty of what lies beyond, of what will pass, and what will be challenged.
There’s something to be said about the creativity that comes from such fear, but hardship alone does not always give way so easily. Personally, I have been feeling very drained and spent, worrying about the futures of those I care about.

The best I can do, I have found, is distract my mind. To find small joys, wherever I can. Not that this is a particularly novel concept, but it’s one that I am going to share anyways.

For a starter, I’ve been in a reading mood, lately. I’ve finished the first two books of Ann Leckie’s series, “The Imperial Radch,” which is a sci-fi story following an ‘Ancillary’, a soldier who was once part of the mind of a great ship, now the last of its memory. It follows Breq (said Ancillary) as she nears the end of her twenty-year-long mission, to kill the Radch, who has colonized quite a large section of the universe, and whom Breq used to serve under.

It is… perhaps a little too topical, in places, however, it is written in a style I find soothing, with the hope of a better future somewhere on the distant horizon.

I’ve also – and I realize that this sounds very plain – put up a bird feeder in my bedroom window.
It’s not a big thing, by any means, and yet there is an excitement that is helping me get out of bed in it; I’ve seen Blue Jays, Tufted Titmouses, and one flighty Chickadee so far, and the warmth it has brought me is not to be understated.

The ability to see such clever little creatures forage, fight, and find their favorite treats has left me in a better mood in the mornings than I would otherwise be. It’s also fun, of course, to hear my senior cat lowly click at them, his eyes bright.
It’s given me something low-key to worry about, in a time where all worries are pressing. Things like, “What fruits do bluejays like?” and “How do I attract cardinals?”

We do not live in easy times, and I apologize that my introduction is not lighter. Over the next few days, I promise to drag some of the things I’ve written into the light – but for now, thank you for reading. May the next weeks be easier for us all.