It’s interesting what moments or stories from your larger family history stick with you. I’ve been thinking about one particular moment over the last month.
It’s actually more of a line than a moment. It was when my dad was in his 20s and talking to his mom. His family had been running a butcher shop in Alberta, and in mulling over of his life, during a late night conversation told her “I don’t want to work with dead things. I want to work with people.”
This past month was the first time away from my office job. While there were good things about the job, it seemed like the totality consisted of creating lifeless things: social media strategies, reel videos, designing posters (ok I mostly did enjoy that one!) That isn’t entirely a judgment on those things themselves. Other people may find that these things are points of human connection and bring them a lot of joy. I just realized for myself that, whatever I end up doing next, it can’t consist of these things in its entirety.
I reached out to the coffee shop that I use to work at, and this past month have been working there just a couple shifts a week. Initially it was surreal and strange to be back, but ultimately I have been really enjoying it. It brings me so much joy to see old regulars and meet new customers. I’ve had so many lovely conversations that have seemed to not only brightened up their day but also boosted my spirits as well.
This past month, I was visiting my Oma (the same person in the family story above) and as I was telling her about my life and the transition that happened, I found myself grabbing that line and in a deja vu moment, repeated it back to her “Oma, I don’t want to work with dead things, I want to work with people.”
There was a sudden twinkle in her eye and she said, “Your dad said the same thing.”
I said, “I know” with a smile.
.
.
.
April was warm, surprising, hopeful, and grounding. Looking back, it was full of:
Urban Shaman show, Arts Junktion stops, framing photos, For Rosebud show, Hanging photos at X-Cues, Sunny walks through Boissevain, House pre-approvals, Cantonese haircut chats, Misercordia chicken fingers, Classic 107 interview, pizza making, photo show reception, family scattegories, White lotus season 3, TB coffee shift, CCPA video, good friday service, Palestine protest, crescent park hangs, family easter meal, hanging out with friends, chats with Oma, birthday bird presentations, Louis’ b-day party, headaches, election watching, airplay speakers, helping friends move.
Enjoy the photos,
Michael, not Mike
I went on to Classic 107 to talk about my photo show this past month. Check out the article here and watch the interview below:
I think so much of our contemporary life is built on obfuscation. Often through the obscuring of material conditions and reducing friction. As you know, I stopped using Instagram a couple months back. Since then, it hasn't been all peaches and rainbows. There's definitely other factors feeding into it, but I'm starting to really understand the very real addiction I'd succumbed to in ways that I only could superficially process due to the overstimulation of it all.
I am still thinking about our conversation at the Leaf and boredom. You made a comment about how boredom is sometimes just boring and doesn't lead to anything else -- and that's ok. The promise of apps on smartphones is that we can maximize productivity and never be bored. And while boredom can be unpleasant, it also serves a purpose (in moderation), even if it doesn't always "produce" something of merit. But my body has been in such disarray for so long from dopamine feedback loops that for the past couple months I've noticed being more irritable, like I'm in a withdrawal of sorts (not to dramatize it).
Fortunately, I am starting to see improvements. My attention span is slowly expanding -- even reading your post and really being able to take in the words was something I wouldn't have had as easy a time with a month or two ago. And if I want to go lay down for 20 minutes to chill out, I am trying to not immediately grab my phone and rot away. Without continued stimulation, my brain is actually able to think and process in ways it hasn't been able to in such quantities for...years at this point. It's like my mind is able to stretch out and through that I can reflect, process, empathize, and grow.
I totally agree with you and your dad about working with dead things. That's why I have long enjoyed tangible things, even if they are technoinfused. I love photo albums, cassette tapes, blu-rays, pen-and-paper, sculptures, plants, even a comfy blanket. And I think it's important to honour the labour of these tangible things and not obfuscate them into a digital cloud, even if it isn't always as pedal-to-the-metal stimulating. When people ask me about some of the things I got up to in Winnipeg last month, it's never a meme I saw or even a clever Reel I was shown. It was all tangible things -- one of the biggest highlights being that butterfly room at the Leaf. Watching those very real things come to life, and share in that knowledge with others, was really meaningful for me.
Great photos as well, Michael. Thank you for sharing, as always!