To The Lighthouse

Our heroine builds a Lego lighthouse as she binge-listens Beyonce and shoves chocolate chip banana bread in her face.

For more than a year now, I've had this Lego lighthouse kit sitting in the corner of my office, waiting to be built. I bought it because Legos are fun, of course, but I also did it because I was in a bit of a writing slump/funk/block/whatever-you-want-to-call-it and I liked the idea of having something in my office that would guide me to shore.

Yes, I overthink Legos. Don't judge. And yes, I was also overthinking the reason why this particular set wasn't getting built. Was it because I don't really have a spot for it in my office? Was it because I was afraid I was attaching too much symbolism or mysticism (or whatever) to a bunch of plastic bricks, and that they weren't going to do the thing I was hoping they'd do, and then I'd have to contend with something else (i.e. myself)? Or was it something much less sinister, like, was I going to get into this build and find out that they didn't pack a brick I needed, which happens sometimes. Then, you have to wait for them to send a replacement brick and who likes waiting? Certainly not me.

Last week my kid was like "Mom, you should really build that thing. I'll help." So that was nice to sit there with my kiddo, seeing the rocky shore emerge, and then the cave full of treasure, and so on and so forth. I just couldn't wait to see the end result.

Sometime after midnight Friday, we finished the thing, and I was so excited to see what happened when I flipped the switch and the little lighthouse light spun around. I kept thinking how satisfying that would be. The good news is that the lighthouse lit up. The bad news is that the damned thing didn't spin, even though I could hear the spinning mechanism spinning somewhere, most likely at the absolute bottom of the two-foot-high structure. "I'm gonna have to take it apart to figure out what went wrong," I groaned. My kiddo said "NO!!! DO NOT TAKE IT APART. THAT WOULD BE BAD."

You know what else is bad? A lighthouse that only gets you to one part of the shore.

Maybe I'll look at this cursed thing today and see if it's an easy fix. Or, maybe I'll tell myself that at least you can get to one part of the shore, and maybe that's enough. We'll see.

At any rate, I hope you have a wonderful long weekend ahead. Hit reply if you're so inclined and let me know how you'll be spending it, or what's on your mind. I'll be thinking about you. Thank you again for being here.

Best,

Paige

Writing prompt: Talismans are objects believed to have magical or healing properties. Do you have anything in your possession that you believe brings you good luck or protection? If so, what is it and how has it helped you? If not, what gets you through the hard times anyway?

I imagine one of the reasons people cling to their hates so stubbornly is because they sense, once hate is gone, they will be forced to deal with pain.

-- James Baldwin

Endnotes

A little something I wrote

It's summer, so you could probably use a road trip. Here's one I wrote about for Tallahassee Magazine. Why not hop in your car and head to Thomasville, Ga., a south Georgia town known for its roses, friendly locals, and really good places to eat? “Thomasville is a romantic town, if you visit on the right night,” writes Thomasville author and bookstore owner Annie B. Jones in her new memoir, Ordinary Time: Lessons Learned While Staying Put. “The sunsets are spectacular; pink and orange and purple streak across the sky behind water towers and church steeples. The brick roads are empty, and the streetlights blink lazily, and you think: I could live here. I could call this quiet little place under the stars home.” My story shows you how to do just that, if only for a weekend.

What I've been listening to

Beyonce on repeat.

What I've been reading

Ocean Vuong's The Emperor of Gladness, which is a beautifully written story about found family. I've never read anything by him before (have you?) and this book is showing me that I really do need to read more of his work.

What I've been watching

"The Bear" season 4. Cousin Richie's "I blame it on my elegance" line is the most iconic excuse ever. Sheer poetry (and hilarity).

Let's say you have four ripe bananas sitting around...

...don't pitch them. Make chocolate chip banana bread, using this NYT Cooking recipe and a healthy swirl of the chocolate hazelnut spread of your choosing. Maybe it's Nutella. Maybe it's El Mordjene, which is what I did. Maybe it's something else. Whatever it is, just try it. I suspect you might like it.

Where I hope you'll donate this week

One out of five kids is at risk of hunger in the United States. Now that Congress passed this nasty funding bill this week, who knows how much that number will increase. Please consider a gift to No Kid Hungry, and/or your local food bank. Thank you.