comments wanted: what did you learn?

the daily taryn — april 21, 2022

I don’t think I’ll ever be able to express what this space means to me. And by this space, I mean this magical little space between us — literally, you and me — where I’m writing some words down and you’re reading them. It’s giving Tom Riddle’s diary energy – like it’s alive.

Well, don’t I sound drunk this morning. Might be, honestly. Went a little kooky girlie on some skinny mezcal margs last night.

What did you learn?

I texted myself at 8:28 last night, probably 3 margs deep:

And before we get started, don’t you dare judge the green. You know I’m not a green texter — you can smell those folks from miles away. It’s green because I have a thing set up where I can text things to Day One (my journaling app) and it saves it for me. I do this a lot when something hits but I don’t have time to think about it.

So we’re at this said-marg-having-dinner, and a friend is telling a story and casually goes, “and yeah, that’s one of the things quarantine showed me, and…”

First, it’s hilarious that we know that means and aren’t absolutely puzzled by the fact that we were QUARANTINING (what a fucking word) on and off for two years. Like, if you’re like me, you had never quarantined in your life, or even imagined a possibility that would get you there. And she just dropped that in a story and we all just nodded and continued chatting as if it was completely normal to reference a massive, life-changing, what the fuck pandemic that just impacted our lives in every possible way.

Anyway. Secondly, I texted myself because my first thought was, “Wow, I want to know what TDT subs would say to this.”

Pretty please

What did covid/panny/pancakerson/quarantine show you? What did you learn during — or as a result of — the last couple years? Of weirdness. Of spook. Of devastation. Of fake life. Of learning zoom games and remote work and reinventing how to see friends and living in masks and always fucking being home. Always. Home. Couch queen. What did it all show you?

I very genuinely want you to answer this in comments. I don’t want or need poetic, formed thoughts. You can riff — no judgements. I just want to hear it from you. If you’re reading this in your email app, just click through and add a comment on the actual post, where you’ll also be able to see/respond to everyone else’s comments.

Please do it. Pretty please. I want to hear from you.

Also, I’m purposefully not giving my answers to this. Half because I don’t want to give any guide/example for what constitutes as an answer, and half because I want to go make myself some cereal. Gotta chase that crunch.

I quite literally cannot wait to read your answers. Happy Friday, happy weekend — happy whatever you need this moment to be.

Talk soon

your friend,

taryn