YOU KNOW HOW you can read a book at one point in your life and get something out of it, and then reread it ten years later and have a totally different experience? The book I’ve read the most number of times is The Watsons Go To Birmingham— 1963, by Christopher Paul Curtis. I probably read it at least once a year from ages eight to fifteen or so, and every time I did, there was something new to appreciate. It kept unraveling itself in unexpected ways. You should absolutely read it right now if you haven’t already… or, as I’ve just come from saying, even if you have.
I mention it because— here’s a little advice columnist inside baseball— each time I write to you, I’m the one picking which of your questions to respond to. Sometimes I pick based on what I’ve written about most recently, to keep some sense of variety: for example. I try not to do seven I’m-in-love-with-my-roommate queries back-to-back (y’all really love your roommates; I’ll get to you folks eventually, I promise). But often I pick based on what I’m thinking about in that moment; this week, for instance, feels particularly tied to the now (that is, this now, now now) from which I’ve chosen to respond. If I were to write you an answer ten years hence, how different would the response be? Realistically, I’ll probably be a cyborg by then, so my advice will be something along the lines of “0001001010100100100100 0101001010.” But even so, I wonder. I’m a wonderer.
This week’s column is about making life decisions (or not). As always, you can send me your burning questions, anonymously, here. And I hope you will!
Dear Sofia,
When is it time to stay in your life and when is it time to give into your fleeing fantasies and do just that?
Signed,
Flirting with Change
Thanks for reading!
Such a beautiful message! Reminds me of Oliver Burkeman's Four Thousand Weeks as well. Thank you for this :)
So lovely and true. Thank you, Sofia.