Today is a fucking joke. A really sick, dystopian joke. Honestly, adding these photos from exploring the Cascades this summer has been necessary today. Throughout my life, nature has been the one constant I can turn to to help ground my thoughts and force a reshift of my perspective. Whenever there have been times in my life where I get too overwhelmed and I start to spiral, I go for a walk. I’m constantly amazed by how much detail of the world around us we filter out on a daily basis to just get through life. The pattern of bark on a tree, and how perfectly the shadows of the overhead sun cast geometric shapes from its edges. The deceptively fragile lace of a carpet of moss dangling from a tree branch (like in photo 1). Ephemeral low hanging clouds, both obscuring and adding mystique to an otherwise nondescript hillside. The randomness and constant evolution of it all- I think that’s what resonates with me.
Absolutely nothing in this world is permanent, except for the relentless march forward of time, and change itself. It’s terrifying, it’s unknown, but it’s strangely comforting. Being a grain of sand on an endless beach surrounded by infinite equally complex and beautiful grains of sand. Maybe it’s a coping mechanism, maybe it’s my SSRIs, hell maybe it’s just getting older and seeing the world in a different light. All I know is that being that nameless grain of sand- it has helped me more than I can explain. While each grain is independent and has a unique history and makeup, in each moment of time they all collectively make up something so much larger.
I guess I don’t really know what I intended to write in this post, except to share my thoughts as they came to me today. Today is bleak. Today is scary. But there have been endless bleak, scary days for so many people throughout history. It’s just another wave washing up against so many of those grains of sand.
I wanted to finish this post listing some resources for organizations and causes I’m currently either donating to or volunteering with, in case you want to join in maybe improving things for your neighboring grains of sand. And PLEASE email, text, etc. me with any information about mutual aid requests, volunteering events, etc. I want to dedicate a space in my blog for keeping myself and folks on here updated on ways to help our grains.
- Real Rent Duwamish – local (Seattle area). Pay reparations to the Duwamish Tribe, who were forcibly expelled from their land in the Seattle area.
- ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union)
- Nisqually Land Trust– local (Puget Sound based) organization purchasing and remediating land along the Nisqually River and its tributaries to reverse centuries of environmental degradation and restore it to a healthy, functioning ecosystem. Works closely with the Nisqually Tribe.
- Food Lifeline– local (Puget Sound based) organization collecting excess food from producers to redistribute to groups facing hunger. I’ll be participating in a volunteer event at 9 AM on February 8th if anyone would like to join me!
And remember- fuck ICE. You are NOT required to disclose any information if they come to you. Here’s some more information on knowing your rights regarding immigration status.
P.S.- I hope you enjoy these photos, and that they help provide a shot of serotonin on a day where we all probably need some.
XOXO- Matt
Central Cascades- September 2024
La Vida Veeta 