About today
Hello, beautiful Listservians! I must say, you're looking great today.
I am sitting here on my end of this giant e-megaphone with a jar of peanut butter and a spoon (fellow pb lovers, you know this never ends well) in a state of semi-disbelief. Honestly, I never thought my turn would come and yet here it is, staring back at me in a blank email of endless possibilities. We've all thought about it - what would you say to the rest of the world in 600 short words? Well, I finally know what I want to talk about, I think on some level I knew all along.
I want to talk about you guys. And Einstein.
Once a day for almost two years, you've filled my inbox with something new. A story from a far away land, a learned lesson, a favorite recipe, a new book or music suggestion, some words of wisdom, some insight to vocations, hobbies, and passions, or just a simple hello. I'm even lucky enough to have received one (and you did, too) from my beautiful sister Riley. She introduced me to the Listserve and let me tell you, she is awesome. Anyways, you're a well-versed bunch, people of the world! And I've learned so much from all of you.
I'm imagining you at this very moment - all 25,000+ in one fictional composite being. You're anywhere and everywhere, on a crowded bus on your way work, scrolling through emails at your cubicle desk, escaping for a break on an awkward first date, sitting at an internet café on a tropical island in the south pacific, catching the first (or last) rays of sun shining through your bedroom window. The day is just beginning. Or maybe it's almost over. Maybe something has made today great, or not so great, sad, exciting, frustrating, just plain weird, or rather normal. Maybe today's your birthday... happy birthday!
And here's where Einstein comes in.
Entanglement is a word that physicists use to describe the phenomenon of how interacting particles maintain a connectedness with each other no matter how far apart they are. Einstein called it "spooky action at a distance" and it has yet to be explained by any theory. One, however, suggests that all particles on earth were once compacted together and, as a consequence, maintain a certain connectedness for eternity. Their common history makes them forever intwined.
For me, the Listserve has become a daily reminder of our own entanglement. Our days are filled with a million different things that set us apart from each other: goals we've set, things we're anxious about, events we anticipate, regrets, successes, interactions, challenges, and ofcourse the future, the big unknown. Regardless of everything, each minute of today will pass at the same pace for all of us. We're all here, owning today one moment at a time and doing it the best way we know how. It's pretty neat think of all us as somehow connected by this commonality of time, all together in one big messy network of entangled particles.
So, to you I say: Thank you for being you. Thank you or occupying your own unique little space on this earth and for filling your days with your passions, dreams, experiences, values, beliefs, insecurities, successes, failures, and great stories. Thank you for sharing them with me, I am proud to be a part of this. Keep asking questions, seeking challenges, smiling, and reminding everyone you love how much they mean to you.
Today is a new day. Don't worry, everything is going to be alright.
I'd love to hear from all of you! Tell me a story, let me know what's made your today special.
PS - Listen to "About Today" by the National. Or really, any song they've ever made... it's pure greatness.
Elena Bushell
elenalistserve[AT]gmail.com
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
I am sitting here on my end of this giant e-megaphone with a jar of peanut butter and a spoon (fellow pb lovers, you know this never ends well) in a state of semi-disbelief. Honestly, I never thought my turn would come and yet here it is, staring back at me in a blank email of endless possibilities. We've all thought about it - what would you say to the rest of the world in 600 short words? Well, I finally know what I want to talk about, I think on some level I knew all along.
I want to talk about you guys. And Einstein.
Once a day for almost two years, you've filled my inbox with something new. A story from a far away land, a learned lesson, a favorite recipe, a new book or music suggestion, some words of wisdom, some insight to vocations, hobbies, and passions, or just a simple hello. I'm even lucky enough to have received one (and you did, too) from my beautiful sister Riley. She introduced me to the Listserve and let me tell you, she is awesome. Anyways, you're a well-versed bunch, people of the world! And I've learned so much from all of you.
I'm imagining you at this very moment - all 25,000+ in one fictional composite being. You're anywhere and everywhere, on a crowded bus on your way work, scrolling through emails at your cubicle desk, escaping for a break on an awkward first date, sitting at an internet café on a tropical island in the south pacific, catching the first (or last) rays of sun shining through your bedroom window. The day is just beginning. Or maybe it's almost over. Maybe something has made today great, or not so great, sad, exciting, frustrating, just plain weird, or rather normal. Maybe today's your birthday... happy birthday!
And here's where Einstein comes in.
Entanglement is a word that physicists use to describe the phenomenon of how interacting particles maintain a connectedness with each other no matter how far apart they are. Einstein called it "spooky action at a distance" and it has yet to be explained by any theory. One, however, suggests that all particles on earth were once compacted together and, as a consequence, maintain a certain connectedness for eternity. Their common history makes them forever intwined.
For me, the Listserve has become a daily reminder of our own entanglement. Our days are filled with a million different things that set us apart from each other: goals we've set, things we're anxious about, events we anticipate, regrets, successes, interactions, challenges, and ofcourse the future, the big unknown. Regardless of everything, each minute of today will pass at the same pace for all of us. We're all here, owning today one moment at a time and doing it the best way we know how. It's pretty neat think of all us as somehow connected by this commonality of time, all together in one big messy network of entangled particles.
So, to you I say: Thank you for being you. Thank you or occupying your own unique little space on this earth and for filling your days with your passions, dreams, experiences, values, beliefs, insecurities, successes, failures, and great stories. Thank you for sharing them with me, I am proud to be a part of this. Keep asking questions, seeking challenges, smiling, and reminding everyone you love how much they mean to you.
Today is a new day. Don't worry, everything is going to be alright.
I'd love to hear from all of you! Tell me a story, let me know what's made your today special.
PS - Listen to "About Today" by the National. Or really, any song they've ever made... it's pure greatness.
Elena Bushell
elenalistserve[AT]gmail.com
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Comments
Post a Comment