When I was a child, my favorite tarot card was The Hermit. I thought a hermit was an individual who conjured magic and mystery, alone in his hut in the woods. Perhaps he dwelled in a cave, or an underground cavern, but he chose this life and it pleased him greatly. He might be gruff to visitors, at least initially, but ultimately he cherished his role of wisdom-giver, truth-teller, and sage.
Enjoy your sabbatical and take as much time as you need! I know I shouldn't judge, but I *am* judging your ex-patrons a little bit for canceling their subscriptions. It seems transactional and not very supportive, and apparently sticks in my craw enough that I am sharing my thoughts about it with you now. 😆 Anyway, be well!
I have not, sadly ever had a chance to take a sabbatical. However, I was recently holding a bunch of stuff together and not acknowledging it until I left a session with my personal trainer (I feel so bougie saying that) at which point I got super duper emotional. My Big Feels were ping ponging all over the place for 24 hrs until I crashed into a solid day of depression and ultimately the flu.
I brought this all up to him in our next session thinking maybe I just endorphin crashed or maybe didn’t eat enough carbs until he said “You’ve been under a lot of stress lately and I think your body finally felt safe letting go.” Oh.
Take good care of yourself! Rest that pretty head!
i love this and i love you and i'm glad that you are not a complete e-hermit, for sure!
regarding this: "If you have ever been able to take a sabbatical or a break from work and found it to be restorative, I would love to hear your advice in the comments, too."
i don't know if i've taken anything that would be considered a "sabbatical," but during the lockdown phase of the pandemic, when i was scrambling to fill my days with zoom comedy shows that felt more like performance art pieces, podcasts that now felt like comedy shows, instagram and other platfrom livestreams, i eventually filled my schedule more than it ever had been filled before, and one day i found myself with NOTHING scheduled, and it felt good. and so i endeavored to have at least one day a week where i scheduled nothing (not that i DID nothing, but at least i SCHEDULED nothing), and it was good. and i strive to do that these days as well. if i can keep one day a week free from scheduling, it is good. and in so doing, i have invented what i call a "sabbath day." i hope it catches on.
I’m so glad that you are recognizing the need and taking a break where you can. You deserve it. Enjoy our weird snowy weather- spring in Chicago is the absolute best and once it really arrives you will hopefully be buoyed by it.
There were professional hermits in 18th century England. They were hired to inhabit the grottoes built on estates. If people in America bring this practice back (and I'm tempted to write a satire about it) we'll know we've really jumped the shark.
Enjoy a pot of tea and a muffin. What you’re doing doesn’t exactly sound like a full rest. Writing for three publications and a full time job. You know that , right?
I'm ashamed of having never been completely truthful about my shame-filled -- though not shameful -- life. I've gotten some good stories out of that, about other people. Fictional people with better endings, or what-they-deserved endings, which I will never give to myself because that's too fucking scary. Knowing my shame has made me more comfortable acknowledging that of others, even the ones who don't speak up. Equals politics.
You inspire me. You always have. Let your lantern shine on the hermitage you carry around with you wherever you go. That's a job it especially wants to do, probably.
There are lots of times that I've existed as a hermit. It's lonely but comes with many perks. I've spent 41 years on the farm where I was born, in an old log cabin in the backwoods of the Missouri Ozarks, ten miles from town, down rough gravel roads, a half-mile up a private dead-end driveway, with my wife and son, the nearest neighbors being a half-mile over the hills and through the woods, neighbors whom I've never met and couldn't pick out of a police lineup.
I worked from home from 2009 to 2016, when I needed money and socialization. It gets lonely working from home. After all those years of hermitage my tongue has turned to clay, so often come off as an idiot when I appear in public.
I would move into the village if I had my druthers, to rid myself of the infernal lonesomeness and nonstop work that is inherent with life on an old farm. My wife really loves it here and refuses to move, so I'll probably stay here until I die.
42 years in the backwoods, with little chance of parole.
Hermitage has prematurely aged me, though the idea of living my entire life in a village (or, Heaven forbid, a city!) is honestly less appealing.
Solitude is both a blessing and a curse, depending on whether you're enjoying it or not. I just started a factory job 20 miles from home, and am really enjoying working around a hundred other rural citizens of all ages and creeds. It's nice to talk with people, just to see people, after all these years of solitude.
Thanks for encouraging me to reply: think I'll post this on my Substack for poops and giggles.
It’s so hard to do things to take care of yourself. I’m pretty terrible at work life balance, so I hope to take some inspiration from you. I just wanted to drop a comment to say I’m a big fan of Dr. Price’s books. In addition to Laziness Does Not Exist, Unmasking Autism is wonderful and helped give me insight into how my autistic son thinks and experiences the world. I’m really excited to read his next book, Unlearning Shame.
This was beautiful, Sara! I think it’s good, if you have mutliple things going on, to step away from-at minimum-one thing for a little bit so that you can recharge.
On taking a break: I’ve haven’t been writing on here for a year, yet I’ve had to take multiple breaks due to life and school (and I was hoping writing on here would be my temporary break from life-oh, hi there irony!), and I found that it helped me feel less pressured to put out content (in this sense posts) and gave myself permission to find my own pacing. Right now I have a weekly mini-series going that I wrote part of ahead of time, but after it gets done in April, I’m going to go back to two main posts a month-a semi-maximum limit that I am giving myself permission to follow through on because fuck pressure. What I’m trying to say and I hope is coming through is that I hope during your Saratonin break that you feel recharged and that you give yourself FULL PERMISSION to just fucking breathe as fast or as slow and often as you need to💜Just please don’t over-hyperventilate to the point that you need to go to a hospital💞
Also, my inner child will berate me if I don’t say this, but she and I are so happy that some found Waldo!
Anyways, enjoy your semi-You-Time, embrace that inner hermit when you need to, and spend time with your Inner Waldo should you come upon her😊
Enjoy your sabbatical and take as much time as you need! I know I shouldn't judge, but I *am* judging your ex-patrons a little bit for canceling their subscriptions. It seems transactional and not very supportive, and apparently sticks in my craw enough that I am sharing my thoughts about it with you now. 😆 Anyway, be well!
I have not, sadly ever had a chance to take a sabbatical. However, I was recently holding a bunch of stuff together and not acknowledging it until I left a session with my personal trainer (I feel so bougie saying that) at which point I got super duper emotional. My Big Feels were ping ponging all over the place for 24 hrs until I crashed into a solid day of depression and ultimately the flu.
I brought this all up to him in our next session thinking maybe I just endorphin crashed or maybe didn’t eat enough carbs until he said “You’ve been under a lot of stress lately and I think your body finally felt safe letting go.” Oh.
Take good care of yourself! Rest that pretty head!
dear sara,
i love this and i love you and i'm glad that you are not a complete e-hermit, for sure!
regarding this: "If you have ever been able to take a sabbatical or a break from work and found it to be restorative, I would love to hear your advice in the comments, too."
i don't know if i've taken anything that would be considered a "sabbatical," but during the lockdown phase of the pandemic, when i was scrambling to fill my days with zoom comedy shows that felt more like performance art pieces, podcasts that now felt like comedy shows, instagram and other platfrom livestreams, i eventually filled my schedule more than it ever had been filled before, and one day i found myself with NOTHING scheduled, and it felt good. and so i endeavored to have at least one day a week where i scheduled nothing (not that i DID nothing, but at least i SCHEDULED nothing), and it was good. and i strive to do that these days as well. if i can keep one day a week free from scheduling, it is good. and in so doing, i have invented what i call a "sabbath day." i hope it catches on.
love you!
myq
I’m so glad that you are recognizing the need and taking a break where you can. You deserve it. Enjoy our weird snowy weather- spring in Chicago is the absolute best and once it really arrives you will hopefully be buoyed by it.
Take all the time you need. I can’t speak for everyone, but I can say I’ll be here when you’re ready to return. Looking forward to that time.
There were professional hermits in 18th century England. They were hired to inhabit the grottoes built on estates. If people in America bring this practice back (and I'm tempted to write a satire about it) we'll know we've really jumped the shark.
Enjoy a pot of tea and a muffin. What you’re doing doesn’t exactly sound like a full rest. Writing for three publications and a full time job. You know that , right?
I'm ashamed of having never been completely truthful about my shame-filled -- though not shameful -- life. I've gotten some good stories out of that, about other people. Fictional people with better endings, or what-they-deserved endings, which I will never give to myself because that's too fucking scary. Knowing my shame has made me more comfortable acknowledging that of others, even the ones who don't speak up. Equals politics.
You inspire me. You always have. Let your lantern shine on the hermitage you carry around with you wherever you go. That's a job it especially wants to do, probably.
There are lots of times that I've existed as a hermit. It's lonely but comes with many perks. I've spent 41 years on the farm where I was born, in an old log cabin in the backwoods of the Missouri Ozarks, ten miles from town, down rough gravel roads, a half-mile up a private dead-end driveway, with my wife and son, the nearest neighbors being a half-mile over the hills and through the woods, neighbors whom I've never met and couldn't pick out of a police lineup.
I worked from home from 2009 to 2016, when I needed money and socialization. It gets lonely working from home. After all those years of hermitage my tongue has turned to clay, so often come off as an idiot when I appear in public.
I would move into the village if I had my druthers, to rid myself of the infernal lonesomeness and nonstop work that is inherent with life on an old farm. My wife really loves it here and refuses to move, so I'll probably stay here until I die.
42 years in the backwoods, with little chance of parole.
Hermitage has prematurely aged me, though the idea of living my entire life in a village (or, Heaven forbid, a city!) is honestly less appealing.
Solitude is both a blessing and a curse, depending on whether you're enjoying it or not. I just started a factory job 20 miles from home, and am really enjoying working around a hundred other rural citizens of all ages and creeds. It's nice to talk with people, just to see people, after all these years of solitude.
Thanks for encouraging me to reply: think I'll post this on my Substack for poops and giggles.
Enjoy your rest, Sara!!!! 💜
It’s so hard to do things to take care of yourself. I’m pretty terrible at work life balance, so I hope to take some inspiration from you. I just wanted to drop a comment to say I’m a big fan of Dr. Price’s books. In addition to Laziness Does Not Exist, Unmasking Autism is wonderful and helped give me insight into how my autistic son thinks and experiences the world. I’m really excited to read his next book, Unlearning Shame.
I enjoy your readings. Take care and hope all is going well for you
This was beautiful, Sara! I think it’s good, if you have mutliple things going on, to step away from-at minimum-one thing for a little bit so that you can recharge.
On taking a break: I’ve haven’t been writing on here for a year, yet I’ve had to take multiple breaks due to life and school (and I was hoping writing on here would be my temporary break from life-oh, hi there irony!), and I found that it helped me feel less pressured to put out content (in this sense posts) and gave myself permission to find my own pacing. Right now I have a weekly mini-series going that I wrote part of ahead of time, but after it gets done in April, I’m going to go back to two main posts a month-a semi-maximum limit that I am giving myself permission to follow through on because fuck pressure. What I’m trying to say and I hope is coming through is that I hope during your Saratonin break that you feel recharged and that you give yourself FULL PERMISSION to just fucking breathe as fast or as slow and often as you need to💜Just please don’t over-hyperventilate to the point that you need to go to a hospital💞
Also, my inner child will berate me if I don’t say this, but she and I are so happy that some found Waldo!
Anyways, enjoy your semi-You-Time, embrace that inner hermit when you need to, and spend time with your Inner Waldo should you come upon her😊