Semplice.

Lately I've been listening to an episode of On Being by Krista Tippett like it's one of my essential daily meals. The streets of Perth have waves rippling across them from persistent hard rain and so the podcasts have been rolling on consistently. Because of her exquisite and refined conversation skills, I have pushed my dusty ol' dreams to the side and am ushering in a new one, and that is to have an introduction by Krista. She says things about her guests like 'She’s an adored voice to a new generation — an enthusiastic elder to us all — at home in her body and in the world of her lifetime; even while she sees and delights in the beyond of it.' and 'His book is a winsome, joyful meditation on the question 'does the world embody beautiful ideas?'... probing the world by way of science as a work of art. My experience of how his mind makes connections took off as we bantered, before our formal conversation could even begin.' Look me in the *eye* and tell me you don't want someone to describe you like that?! My beautiful ceremony readers, how would you want Krista to introduce you? Or, how would you like your future self presented to listeners. Let's not hold back and have a moment of fully feeling the breadth and scope of our own potential. I'll go first. ''She is a writer whose use of language builds the foundation for her readers to become architects. People who are able to better participate in and design their own lives. Through her expressions of relationship to both self and other, be that human, natural or spiritual other, she has found a space to reside that welcomes people home to themselves and reminds them that they are both whole and incomplete.'' Now, write yours. I'll wait. If we think a little about what we've written for ourselves here, hopefully we feel that we already have within us, everything that we need to bring it to fruition. It's just a tiny glimmer of hope that you could in-fact become the version of yourself that you see as the 'best'. If I had written that even a year ago I would have felt shy and narcissistic. I would have been too scared to post it and would have probably written 'she is a creative who likes to write about daily life and hopes that people read it and like themselves a little bit more.' I don't feel like that today because like my housemate H always says (not with words, but with her glare when I put limitations on myself) 'Not with that attitude.' She looks at me like I've just told my own child that they won't amount to anything and just with a clear stare can demonstrate that she has no time for my self deprecating bulls*it. If you still haven't written your intro yet, I'll wait again... Okay good. So, when we look at our ideal selves in the mirror, through the eyes of current selves, we may feel that it's too grand, too out of reach. But what can we learn from the word 'simple' in this realm? Simple is defined as pure; unadulterated. Unadulterated is something that doesn't lose it's purity, undiluted. And in this context, perhaps we could think about those diluting factors as the multitudes of love and grief and anger and joy and confusion that life is going to throw at us across time. For me, the word simple here is a way for me to aim straight. 'This' is what I'm shooting for, and no matter when gets mixed in, the end destination will not be diluted into a kind of watery substance, but only enhanced by what I choose to keep in the mixture. I feel like I want to stop here. I'm not going to dilute a good message with more words. Write your introduction to be spoken by Krista or Oprah, your friend or your parent to read about you one day, then aim straight at it. My statement feels simple in that I feel calm and confident that it won't get murky across time. Simple doesn't mean it's not beautiful or important. M. *the title of the blog is meant to be ironic darling readers. We love a good Alanis Morrissette moment.

When I sat down to write this, I had Queer Eye on, I was scrolling on my phone and I was looking at furniture for my new house on my laptop. Then, my internet completely shut off. The TV wasn't working, and the windows I had opened didn't load. If that wasn't a sign to turn in and tune in, I don't know what is. ------------------ Daily Ceremony acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the traditional custodians of the land we work on, and we pay our respects to elders past, present and emerging. Ceremony [ ser-uh-moh-nee ] A unified ritualistic event with a purpose, usually consisting of a number of artistic components, performed on a special occasion. Aka, life.