You can have it all, but not all at once
A juicy poem, short stories, the truth on going mega-viral and (not) having it all!
Greetings, friends! It's officially Autumn here in the Southern Hemisphere, and I love the sunny days and crisp evenings. It truly is my favourite season.
It's also orange season, which ties in nicely with my latest book purchase this week.
Let's jump in!
The Orange and Other Poems by Wendy Cope
Wendy is one of Britain's wittiest, best-selling and best-loved poets.
I LOVE her writing!
If you're a poetry newbie or think poems are just dead white guys talking about clouds, you must read this collection.
Wendy doesn't take herself too seriously, yet her writing pierces right through the heart of what it means to be human - to love, grieve, and laugh out loud.
She's witty, funny and effervescent.
Below is my favourite poem from the book.
Also, check out this short article that provides some background on the poem's inspiration.
Here’s a picture of a delicious orange from my tree in the garden, which I juiced and enjoyed with sparking water!
Other People We Married, Emma Straub
I'm a huge fan girl of
- she's a super-talented author, owns and runs two bookstores (Books Are Magic), and seems to be (at least via her Substack) a very friendly, down-to-earth, and honest human being.
Anyway, I'm not sure how her short story collection escaped me, as it was published in 2011, but I read it this week and loved it!
I'm a big short story fan.
I love starting and finishing something in one sitting; it gives me a sense of accomplishment, especially when tiny humans interrupt you at every turn.
Emma writes remarkably human characters who navigate life's challenges and triumphs with remarkable insight.
I’ve also read and loved, All Adults Here and This Time Tomorrow.
The Truth About Going Mega Viral
Last week, I read and subscribed to
Substack.The post that hooked me was an honest account of what it was like to build a greeting card/stationery company that went mega-viral and its impact on her mental and physical health.
In the post, she describes the challenges of doing what you've always dreamed of versus maintaining mental and physical sanity, and the guilt that comes from feeling so overwhelmed that you want it to be over.
Here's a bit from the post:
I stopped sleeping, stopped feeding myself actual food, stopped moving from my chair for eight hours at a time, holding my pee until I got one more thing done, stopped everything except producing and grinding and delivering.
What was I grinding on? Products that were dedicated to addressing mental health, imperfection, and human connection.
If it wasn’t so fucked-up, it would be funny.
More people should be brave enough to talk about how messed up our hustle culture is.
How much pressure there is to create, achieve, and constantly “do” more and more…
"You can have it all, but you can't have it all at once!
I've heard a version of this quote many times in the past few years, and it resonates with me so much.
Growing up as a girl in the 90s, we were told we could and should have it all.
A glamorous career (not just a job), a partner of your choosing, a house of your own (not just a rental), a great sex life, children, a ridiculously tight-knitted friendship group with whom to drink cosmopolitans with on the weekends (a la Sex In The City) or lounge about with in the local coffee shop before/during/after work (thanks Friends). While also maintaining your health, happiness, and mental well-being.
Well, I call bullshit!
"Success," however you define it, always comes at a cost—some trade-off must occur.
You simply cannot do or have everything (it’s impossible in the world we live in).
You can’t be everything, to everyone, all at once.
We were sold a myth!
But once you realise this and stop beating yourself up for not living this impossible life, it's actually quite liberating (or so I hear, it’s still a WIP over here).
So, on that note, this newsletter is going monthly!
I love talking about books and the beautiful ideas inside them, and more to the point, I love sharing them with people like you who love that, too!
But I need to make a trade-off. You'll just get a heavier dose of bookish banter next time I land into your inbox.
Until then, mwah! 😘
Thank you so much for sharing my work, Nicola! We were sold a myth indeed. I’m a big fan of the monthly newsletter myself.