This week a writer in my monthly writing group shared this poem with us by Dorothy Parker. Actually, it’s more accurate to say it was referenced in her essay and we ended up talking about it. I smiled and laughed when I remembered the poem. It was fitting not only for the essay but for this moment for all of us in our group.
I started reading Dorothy Parker by mistake really. When I was a senior in college, I secured an internship with a publisher. One of the perks—the best perk in my opinion other than free travel for in-person working sessions—was that we could receive as many textbooks as we wanted or needed for school.
Naturally, I wanted to get the most bang for my labor (yes, this should be a saying). I requested pretty much any book that had a cover I found appealing. As an English and writing major, that meant I came home one day to boxes full of novels and poems. I was so happy. Inside one of these boxes was this beautiful edition of The Portable Dorothy Parker.
The side eye says everything you need to know about Dorothy Parker. There’s more I could say, but it’s important I keep this brief because tomorrow I start my new job. Yes, I said it. Reader, this boi has once again secured stable (for now 👀) employment. More to come on that, but I wanted to take a moment tonight, on the day of Lordess Failure to acknowledge the courage it takes not to give up on the process. To look at all of your options, and even when they feel shitty, to say to yourself, "You might as well live."
Today as I cleaned and packed up all my stuff for the week I will be spending in another city to train for my new role, I talked on the phone with a friend who was on a long road trip, on the way to take care of their dad after he had surgery. We talked for hours and hours about everything, but the throughline I realized, was how much grief and pain can keep us feeling stuck or afraid to take the next step, for fear of messing it all up, for fear of more loss and pain, because sometimes taking the next step and moving forward is just another reminder of how out of control we truly are sometimes.
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