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Oscar Obregon's avatar

The first paragraphs perfectly describe the also great Modest Mouse line "my thoughts were so loud I couldn't hear my mouth", and then you took this in such an interesting direction...

A topic we've touched on at least on one of our calls, and you know it's something I think about a lot, but haven't reached any meaningful conclusion yet.

Yet, you have and I love it: tiny changes.

It's just so simple, yet profound, a perfect compromise, or balance, between making progress and living in the moment.

The smalls poems (or haikus even?), and the whole cadence is just so beautiful, and make it even more memorable and relatable.

Will keep mulling over your insights and I'm sure it'll bleed into what I eventually do with this topic. Because as Rachael says, your writing stays in my mind for many days, weeks, months...

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Sandra Yvonne's avatar

STOP. That's one of my favorite lyrics. When I was younger, I wanted a tattoo of that line!🙈

Honestly, I don't think I have a REAL meaningful conclusion since nothing is static or binary. But I'm excited to eventually see what YOU do with this topic!!

I appreciate the praise, though it's too generous. lol There are better things to keep in your mind than this, Oscar!

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Oscar Obregon's avatar

Really?! Agreed! And definitely worthy of a tattoo... still up for it? I'd like to see that!

Mostly, look at you, writing as eloquently as Isaac Brock a few years later 🙌

Yeah, I also don't think there's one answer, nor a static one, but definitely "tiny changes" is a partial, interesting one, even if it doesn't cover it all. And yes! Will keep you posted obviously :)

Hahaha didn't say it was the only thing in my mind, but your writing definitely sticks!

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Sandra Yvonne's avatar

"Hahaha didn't say it was the only thing in my mind,"

this humbled me lol

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Oscar Obregon's avatar

Just realized I never answered this haha didn't mean it like that but happy it kept you grounded😂

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Elizabeth Edwards's avatar

Hey #27! I’m feeling the black and white vibes here. Looove the sub-headers, I used to have one of those squeeze label makers and remember the feeling of fatigue after squeezing too many labels lol. The blacks in the headers are soft and still pop against the black mobile screen. And love the white space you left around these sub-headers. The details 🤌 O-M-G, you inspire me 🤩

I’m resonating with the tension between making an impact and simply just being. I think about this ALL the time. I’m tired too of the “circle jerk of endless doing and impressiveness,” because to me it feels like an insecurity from tension between making an impact and just being.

I also wonder if I can simply be, and be ok with it. But your writing got me reflecting on what feels like simply being, for me. Maybe its the flow states of just doing something creative, or playing video/board games with friends, staring into that orange sherbet sunset, letting my consciousness melt into a good film, having a deep conversation with friends, or taking a little cat nap while listening to some music. I like simply being captivated by the moment, whatever I’m doing, even if its just daydreaming.

“But the world screams that you’re not enough, you don’t exist if you go silent and unseen.” I feel for this as well. We only see and praise people ‘on top.’ But then we also don’t see all of them, just whatever part of them go to the top. I want to see the silent, unseen parts of them. Bring em back down to earth, make them relatable, see why and how they make impacts (if they do). But also why are these people praised so highly? Why do most people want to be on the top like that?

I don’t want the whole world watching me. I just want to make tiny impacts. I hope that my art and writing makes people smile or think about things differently the way Sunday Candy and all the other art/writing I consume does for me. I want to feel good making others feel good.

Let’s cheers to NOT militantly marching to the beat of someone else’s drums. Lets command the orchestras within ourselves, throw some fuzz and distortion in there, add some multicolor strobe lighting and confetti cannons. Lets celebrate the tiny impacts and just simply be in that moment!

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Sandra Yvonne's avatar

Hahahahaha fatigue?? How many is TOO MANY labels? You have to work on your hand strength! You just reminded me that I meant to remove the white background on them today 😒

And you forgot to add basking in copious amounts of garlic powder to your list, that’s part of simply being, right?

“I hope that my art and writing makes people smile or think about things differently…”

Done and done. :)

All in on multicolor strobe lighting and confetti cannons.

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Elizabeth Edwards's avatar

Yes, one cannot simply be without a daily dose of garlic powder (the whole bottle).

🎊🚥

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Sandra Yvonne's avatar

Do you snack on it by the spoonful throughout the day or just inhale it all at once? You must be so garlic-y.

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Elizabeth Edwards's avatar

No spoons, just straight from the container. I hold it up over my head and pour the garlic sand straight down my throat. I’m so garlicky, it’s the only way to ward off the vampires obv. Lol

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Sandra Yvonne's avatar

"garlic sand" lol

That is...the best visual. I hope you don't choke or get it in your eyes.

To ward off the vampires? Genius. How's that working out for you?

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Chao Lam's avatar

Wow, this lands hard. I have listened to hours of Perrell and Bi wax eloquent about Girardian Mimesis but never felt this visceral connection that I get here. You see me and I hate marching too

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Sandra Yvonne's avatar

Chao!! What a compliment to hear you felt a visceral connection to this. I didn't realize it, but I see now this rambling works as a trojan horse for tackling mimetic desire 🧐

Let us NOT march together!

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Rachael Tiss's avatar

I’ll tell you a secret. Your writing makes me stop and reflect and feel deeply. Even when I’m done reading, I think about it throughout the day.

Your writing makes me question my limiting assumptions. Your writing makes me feel less alone. You help me see that loneliness can be intimate and tender. You speak to my soul.

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Sandra Yvonne's avatar

Well. This made my day :) 💙

Are you inside my brain? It's exactly what I needed to hear, thank you.

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Michelle Elisabeth Varghese's avatar

Soooo good. I agree with the beginning of your piece, I don't think we have to make cosmic impact on the world to live a meaningful life. I even think it's most important to start with yourself. Then this essay just goes into straight poetry and I felt like I stopped reading and was simply experiencing your gorgeous writing.

"My eyes catch the hazy glow of orange sherbet spread like butter across the pretty morning sky and I daydream about how I’d love to sip wonder wine, watch flying fish shine, witness dolphins dive, marvel at the starry night, listen to rainbow rhymes, and like a heathen, be among the tricksters and the purveyors of pleasure, living to play on purpose." GAH JUST BEAUTIFUL

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Sandra Yvonne's avatar

Shooting for tiny cosmic impacts :) lil bby impacts.

I love that you said it's most important to start with ourselves because I think that's true too. Gotta get right with yourself before anything else. Inward then outward. Otherwise, the dissonance is so very real.

"I stopped reading and was simply experiencing your gorgeous writing." !!!!!

Thank you for appreciating my ramble. 🥹😊💙

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Michelle Elisabeth Varghese's avatar

my life goal is to ramble as beautifully as you do

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CansaFis Foote's avatar

...your awesome alliteration amazes...thanks for the poetry and jams...

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Sandra Yvonne's avatar

Oooh man...yeah. Thank you! I am wonderfully weak for appetizing alliteration.

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Rick Lewis's avatar

Going with the origami methaphor, I have the sense that you are mostly UNfolding and blossoming with each issue, sharing from a quiet, still depth that I find tremendously nurturing of the spirit. With respect to making an impact, it seems to me that authenticity of being is the greatest contribution any human could make to existence. I see you as a courageous example of speaking from such a place.

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Sandra Yvonne's avatar

UNfolding and blossoming. Ahhhh. In bloom 😊

I agree with you about authenticity. It's pretty high up there in terms of how I strive to exist in the world and it's one of the most fulfilling things to be met with the authenticity of others. So much surrender required. I love that you value it and see it's necessary place in the world.

I only wish everyones authenticity could be more celebrated.

Thank you, Rick.

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Rick Lewis's avatar

I'm with you in spirit on that mission.

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Erin Rupp's avatar

“People doing to impress people doing to impress people...” this gravitron ride was sucking me down and holding on and not letting go. I couldn’t buy in. Now I’m struggling to find where I fit in. And I’m finding I don’t care to fit in.

Keep on, soul sister. <3

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Sandra Yvonne's avatar

"Gravitron ride" Ooh I like that phrasing. Hell yeah, Erin!! No buying in. We can fit in with ourselves 😎

"And I'm finding I don't care to fit in." 💙

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Shannon Colón's avatar

I am grateful for this impactful tiny change of a newsletter :)

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Sandra Yvonne's avatar

🥹

Oh you.

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Tanya's avatar

It’s another place. Like your concrete bench is a tardis.

It feels like meditation. I love it!

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Sandra Yvonne's avatar

Hahaha a tardis!! I love that. Thank you :)

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Helen's avatar

"Because the clock is drippy and the calendar is droopy" -- awww this makes me smile :) Totally dig the casual rhythm but serious content of this issue. And hanging out with the statue of Pythagoras is so lovely! Sign me up to join you when you do it again!

Sunday Candy is the kind of writing that brings me a big smile in the depth of night when I'm burning my oil to catch up on all the engineering tradeoffs and last-minute crammings. Like real candies, Sunday Candy relieves my stress and makes life more fun =)

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Sandra Yvonne's avatar

Too serious or nah?

Me and Pythagoras hang nearly everyday! You can sit and ponder with us. Or I will keep you with us in spirit.

That's such a lovely review, Helen. "...relieves my stress and makes life more fun" made me smile!! What a relief that I'm not adding stress and sucking out the fun 😅 NEED. MORE. FUN.

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Karena's avatar

Sandra got me at "sloshing with alphabet soup". I was suckered to the screen ... then "hazy glow of orange sherbet spread like butter across the pretty morning sky" and "sip wonder wine" ... keeps getting better and better.

A whole lot of lots, wrapped in delicate wisps of tissue paper.

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Sandra Yvonne's avatar

"wrapped in delicate wisps of tissue paper." ooooh Karena, that's so good.

Thank you for your kind words and taking the time to read! I love that I was able to sucker you into the screen with my alphabet soup 😂 That could have easily gone the other way.

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Elizabeth Edwards's avatar

+1 on the drippy droopies

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Sandra Yvonne's avatar

drip drip drip drippyyy droopiezZzzZzz

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randy's avatar

“makes life more fun” - I can’t say it any better

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Sandra Yvonne's avatar

🥺

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May 19, 2023
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Sandra Yvonne's avatar

Wow, I don't know how I missed this! Thank you, Di--I appreciate your kind words and you sharing your thoughts! :)

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