Strangers are my shortcut therapists

How 53 yr old Savannah from Illinois knows me best

HAI PALS

This is a short but sweet one!

I was thinking while I was making chorizo pasta tonight (with a cup of fresh grapefruit juice in hand of course), about what actually gets me through the week unexpectedly sometimes: strangers on the internet.

When I’m deep in the swirl of work, just tunnel-visioning my way through all the different things I do, I stumble across quotes online at multiple points during the week or day. A caption in a post, a line in a newsletter, something someone’s said in the comments section of a random TikTok video. I read these whopping one or two liners, or some really thoughtful question and jot it IMMEDIATELY in a folder in my notes app.

What’s wild is that over the years, I’ve spent thousands on therapy, alternative healing modalities, spiritual work, books and workshops (blah blah blah woke millennial chat). Yet, sometimes it’s a rando like 53-year-old Savannah from Illinois or 21 year old Esmeralda from San Sebastian blowing my mind in the comments section. They’ll type something simple like “rotten fruit falls on its own” and I’ll spend the next 22 minutes thinking about that, and it how it applies to my life. It heals some parts of me that no professional or friend ever has.

We know the internet is dark, social media is cooked and I’m sure that the root of many of our problems is the literal thing you are reading this on - a screen. But, I suppose if we are going to absorb and scroll no matter what, at least follow the right people and look for the right things to grab your attention for the right reasons.

I think its about finding that right world to play and engage in. Finding the smart writers on Substack or the funny and philosophical people on TikTok.

Because some of the smartest, most thought provoking and spirit-steadying conversations are coming from a bunch of strangers in a comments section. People we will never meet, and whom know literally nothing about us, but their sharing is healing over international waters. And with the mental health and cost of living crisis, maybe we just need to hunt down the right people to follow on the interwebs until we save our pennies and get more therapists.

Below are some bangers I saved in my phone this week that made me either stop, smile, think deeper or immediately forward to a friend! Sending to you all because:

SHARING IS CARING

and because,

we love strangers on the internet.

With love, chaos & rigatoni -

PM xx