New Behaviours in Practice
One of the things I’ve already been observing from my Yearly Theme (The Year of New) is the idea of “New Behaviours.” I’m trying to adapt my reactions to things so I can better give my family what they need. This week has already been a test of that, from Sophia’s first big bump on the head to a separate trip to the emergency room.
Everything is fine — no need to worry. The bump is what it is; these things are going to happen. The emergency room visit was due to some medication that was incorrectly prescribed, which we later worked out at home was not what she needed. The visit was precautionary, and there’s nothing of concern.
All of this is to say that I’ve been tested this week in trying to give my family what it needs: a calm presence, focused on finding solutions. I may be the one assessing my own performance here, but I think I did pretty well. My natural reaction would be to freak out in any situation like this, but logically I know that doesn’t help anyone. So I’m trying to keep front of mind that the new reaction I want to have is one of calm action, not wild frenzy.
In other news, Brad and I recorded episode 700 of The Pen Addict this week. At this point, the joke is pretty played out, but it’s still such a weird thing to have been producing a podcast about pens for 14 years. I said it on the episode, but at this point The Pen Addict is less about the products for me and more about the people — from the community around the show to the ability to talk to Brad every week. That’s what I love about it.
This week I’ve been enjoying dipping back into Animal Crossing: New Horizons. They put out an update last week that adds some new features, along with enhancements for the Switch 2. Right now, this game is pretty perfect for the amount of time I have for gaming. I can hop in, check what’s in the shops, take a stroll around my island, and design a room for the new hotel. As always, the vibes are immaculate.
On a related note, I really enjoyed this article by Emily Marler for Crossplay. “Screen time” for children feels like something you start thinking about the moment they enter your lives, and trying to work out the right approach feels like a total minefield. I appreciated the frank and realistic take Marler offers in this piece. It’s nice to hear more perspectives on the subject — because right now, I still have no idea how to handle it.
Have a wonderful weekend. I’ll see you next week. Upgrade 600 is on Monday!
