Turning Down the Noise

{to remember who we are in the quiet}

Last Friday, I hit a wall. It’s hard to know for sure, but I’d say it was some combination of hysterical hormones, extreme political anxiety, and a sleepless, simmering rage.

I needed a hard reset and I darn well knew staying entirely off the internet for 24 hours would be a required component. So, though my Substack was completed, I decided to postpone publishing it until Saturday night. Did that confuse you? Did you even notice? Do you care one way or another? I’m curious.

My grandiose plans for my reset day quickly went the way of their architect, Shannan Dawn Garber Martin, which is to say I abandoned them on a whim and spent my day reading this entire novel, mostly in bed. I wasn’t sick. I wasn’t even as tired as I thought I was. I just needed to turn down the speed and volume of life.

As luck would have it, it’s still warm enough in Indiana to keep the front door flung open. As irony would have it, on the day I most needed to lower the decibels of life, the guys across the street had *the loudest* *and longest* party ever. So, I read to the soundtrack of Latin music spilling through the screens (until after 1 a.m. which I swear, I could not bring myself to feel disgruntled about.)

It’s now a full week later, and I’ve realized I’d like to keep this rhythm for a while. I hope that works for you. I’m writing this, as usual, on Friday. When I’m done, I’ll be off the grid for a day or so. Ruby has a sectional volleyball game tomorrow and I’m in the mood for adventure (though I thought the same last week…) It doesn’t matter how I end up spending my day, as long as I don’t spend it doom-scrolling.