Summer’s got my name on it how good ice cream just loves a cone. Your gurl can’t get enuf. Everything’s alive and thriving and so greedy for your attention. And I’m not talking snapchat/IG-aggressive attention hawks, I’m talking green verdant things with tendrils that beckon you and how the fresh-spray sound of ocean foam kissing your skin speaks your name.
Basically. I just wish my fine black ass was on a beach right now! 😝
But the truth is, I’m pretty close. Next week I’ll be going completely off grid. I’m heading to a writing residency for women. This is as good as earth gets for me, Subscriber First Name—island life, plus ocean, reading, writing and someone else fussin about my dinner.
You’ll still get my letters. But real talk? I fcn hope you don’t read em (yet)!
Not cause I’m a masochist or don’t love your notes back, but b/c your hunger for rest is so damn human and deserves your attention. Especially in this culture, where you’re lucky if your boss respects your weekend, where you’re lucky if your workplace pats themselves on the back for offering you a measly two weeks of paid vacation.
And do I need to get on my soap-box about restorative rest as completely counter to the rat race of white supremacy? I think not. Suffice to say:
Rest is Revolutionary in a culture that prizes your productivity (translation: hard cash) over your wellbeing. In a culture where policymakers are cool supplementing cushy retirement plans for the rich, but not so cool paying for comprehensive maternity leave (as if childbirth is anyone’s idea of a fun vacation👀🤯—still, how about cutting momma’s some rest time stacks 💸?)
Anyone else remember the schnokenfest Congress threw when it looked like blue collar America might prefer to (gasp!) just stay home, cash that stimulus check and catch a fcn break?
Listen to me. You deserve rest. And ALL you Gotta Do is Take It!
No fancy beach, personal chef on a yacht and instagram photoshoot necessary. Real rest. With nothing on the calendar but whatever brings you stupid joy.
I dare you to claim your off-grid time—like, right now. Block dates. Tell everyone who’ll listen. And get what you need done to iron-wall that time.
Done? Nice–now make that promise to yourself even more real. Tell me in 5 words what your perfectly restful break looks like.
You already know mine—Beach. Sleep. Write. Read. And Lazylong dinners I didn’t cook. 🫣🤪 🫠 so what, I used 10 words—catch me if you can, baby.
…My fine black ass is already halfway off-grid!
❤️
Magogodi
p.s. write? check Hedgebrook out. Got deep pockets & read? Send a check!
p.s.s. on rest as resistance, peep Tricia Hersey’s work with the Nap Ministry
P.s.s.s. on cushy retirements for the wealthy, Washington Post
