THE MATTER of LONELINESS

I attended a two-day symposium, hosted by the Wang Center for Global and Community Engaged Education at Pacific Lutheran University. I was present at every presentation and workshop offered during "The Matter of Loneliness: Building Connections for Collective Well-Being." I'm glad I did because I learned a lot and ended exhausted, but with a full head and full heart.

The first day was focused on theory and the second day was focused on implementation. (Or "inside" and "outside" as PLU thought of the days.)




I left with a bunch of "takeaways" for my workplace and will be reaching out to various people and organizations to put learning into practice.

There were two fascinating workshops I experienced. The first was a Purpose Planning Workshop led by a facilitator from the Blue Zones Project. My top "gift," discovered during a "calling card" exercise was "Exploring the Way." I take it to be a lifelong search for meaning, tied to spiritual and religious practices, and bolstered by my gifts of creating art, writing, and organizing. The second was being present during a Braver Angels community debate between college students that explored whether or not everyone is entitled to a universal basic income. The structure of the debate allowed for constructive conversation without division. It turns out that most people gathered are in favor of some kind of universal basic income, whether on the right or the left, conservative or liberal; the difference comes in the details, such as who would fund such a program.




Both days had a great selection of speakers and thinkers. My favorites were:

• Julia Watts Belser, Professor of Jewish Studies and Disability Studies Core Faculty, Georgetown University, with "Wild Kinship: Disability Wisdom, Interdependence, and the Elemental World."
• Jenny Odell, writer and artist, with "How to Do Nothing."
• Carolyn Finney, storyteller and cultural geographer, with "Our Story: Blackness, Belonging & Dreaming the Family Tree."
• Mike Weiking, founder and CEO, The Happiness Project in Copenhagen, with "The Science of Happiness."

DRIVE-AWAY DOLLS

The Wife and I saw Drive-Away Dolls (2024) directed by Ethan Coen, at The Grand Cinema in Tacoma.

I usually know a bit about a film before I see it. In the case of Drive-Away Dolls, all I knew came from the trailer. It appeared to be a blend of Thelma and Louise and Pulp Fiction. But, as they say, appearances can be deceiving. That is the case here. This is a lesbian romance road film that tries too hard. It's too quirky. It's too fragmented and disjointed. I was most intrigued to see Geraldine Viswanathan (Miracle Workers) in it but her character isn't really allowed to do anything and is mired in sadness. Geraldine's humor is stifled. And there are way too many dildo jokes and shots and scenes of dildoes. No joke. Spoiler alert: it's a major plot point. This is a pass unless you're a Coen Brothers completist; even then tread with caution.

FLOWERING BONSAI

I have visited the Pacific Bonsai Museum many times, but have never been there in the spring when the trees are in bloom. I rectified that today.

Two of the flowering plum trees were in peak bloom. There were many other bonsai—juniper, sweet gum, Gravenstein apple, Japanese maple, azalea—with new growth. Buds and infant leaves were just starting to appear. I'm glad I visited!