The Middle by Jimmy Eat World – I can still vividly remember hearing this song for the first time (like 17 years ago). Every time I hear this song on the radio, I start singing and bopping along, and then all of the sudden the lyrics will hit me and I’ll get weirdly choked up, especially as I get older and they sink it a bit more. There is something very comforting about accepting being in the middle of the ride.
Neal Brennan: 3 Mics – I first saw Neal Brennan on Jerry Seinfeld’s Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, which I absolutely adore. Because of their chat, I sought out his comedy special on Netflix, and it is a really interesting concept. One mic for each comedy persona he wanted to put on that night: one-liners, emotional stuff, and stand-up. This is funny and poignant. If you have Netflix, you should be watching it.
I’m Fine, Just Tired – And the third and heaviest of this week’s things (apparently brought to you by my depression), is a series of tweets about what people with mental illness mean when they say they’re tired. When I’m not reading romance novels, I spend a lot of time reading about mental health issues – namely depression and anxiety – around the internet. I think we live in an interesting and complex time where there is still both so much stigma and triggers everywhere, but then you have all of these outlets to discuss mental health more freely and find people just like you. I’ve been having a very rough few weeks. I remember having dinner with my family and being really shut off. When asked if something was wrong, I said, “I’m fine, just tired.” Something I have said a million times. That night, I got home and found this article. I felt seen and understood. It’s my hope to share it in case someone else needs to feel that they’re not alone, even if just for a fraction of a second.