What are we all talking about that is not TV or politics?

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January is nearly half over and I haven't updated this site since before Christmas. First I was just taking a break but during that time so few ideas sprang to me with regards to what to write about that I didn't come back here til now. It kills me to look back on this site from ten years ago and see that I was coming up with five new posts a week--including interviews!--and now this is what I've got. I do think of course that a.) doing writing for a living instead of it being my side gig/hobby b.) being married/having two children and such (I lived at home with my parents when I started this site, 15 years ago) c.) the nature of the internet in general evolving/devolving should all count for something.

Basically the topics I am most obsessed about--politics and children--are also the most exhausting. I don't write very much about politics because it's not my wheelhouse and I want more facts and less opinino right now anyway. Regardless, no matter for whom you voted you have to admit this is A LOT. OF DRAMA. It's alarming, to be honest. I don't intend to watch the inauguration partially because I'm rather alarmed something might happen and I don't want to witness that in real time. So I don't want to blog about politics even though I think about it more than I wish I did.

Meanwhile, I miss making the connection with people writing about motherhood did for me. It makes me happy (and strokes my ego) when someone tells me something I wrote about family life meant something to them. I just simply don't feel the need to write about that right now--but previously just about every time I wrote about parenthood I was exploring some question or issue I had and I wanted to work out. What I'm saying is, I got it alll figured out. No, I just have felt fine with quietly muddling through, lately. (With that said, parenting editors, I will be available to take on new assignments in February--call me!)

So what is there to write about now then that's fun? This time ten years ago I was writing about: A list of famous people from my high school (which I should update), how I'm scared of aliens, a letter to Barbaro the Horse, and a list of what infants are like in addition to being like blobs (this list is accurate.) These are all very stupid ideas, but at least they were topics that weren't about what martial arts do for your preschooler's emotional well-being or the CIA and the MI5 and Russian hacking, like this is some sort of Tom Cruise movie we're living in.

I want to know, if you're out there--what has been something good you've read or listened to or talked about lately that was not about politics,  not about parenting and also not about TV -- mostly because there are too many shows right now and I still feel guilty about not checking out "Atlanta" (I will get to it!) Being a parent is not terribly interesting, but also right now being an American is too exciting. So I need new ideas, for writing and for everyday life.