How wild is it that every version of you probably exists still, somewhere, in someone’s memory? The messy you, crying on the floor exists still in your mind. The happy, sun-soaked you, exists in your best friend’s memory. No part of you has died, all parts of us exist always, simultaneously and hidden.
Happy birthday to someone who taught me more than I thought it was possible to learn from a person I’ll never meet.
I don’t always agree with what Lewis says or what he does, he’s not perfect, he shouldn’t be treated as such and it shouldn’t be expected of him. But he’s also resilient, he’s kind, he’s ambitious, he’s encouraging, he’s empathetic. He’s not afraid to show his vulnerability, to question himself, but he doesn’t let the self doubt bring him down, instead works like before, more than before. He took a sport that wanted him to be someone he wasn’t and made it his stage. Took it to new heights, to new audiences, to a dimension that was unexplored before, changed the idea of what a formula one driver should be. Didn’t let the numerous people who were hostile towards him bend or dim his light, his self expression. Worked to make this environment more open to everyone, more inclusive, and never backed down in front of those who didn’t want the change.
In 2020 he said that, after all that he had achieved on track, his biggest motivation to keep going was to leave the sport better than how he found it. And he will, he already did. And for this I want to say thank you Lewis, and happy birthday. 💜
one of the greatest tragedies in life is that you will always be loved more than you will ever know. someone in class finds your presence inviting and warm, even if you’ve only ever exchanged a few words with them—maybe none at all. someone on the street loves your smile and it gets them down the next few streets. someone you used to be friends with still wishes to fondly call your name. someone you used to be friends with five years ago would give anything to be in the same room as you today. someone who regularly comes into work is disappointed when you aren’t there to brighten their day. someone missed you today. someone noticed you were gone. someone loves you when you’re there; someone loves you when you’re nowhere to be found at all. you think you have always disappeared when you’re no longer in the picture, but you’ve never left the frame.
you ever know someone and you think “god i love you. i wish we could’ve known eachother when we were carefree and 11. i wish we could’ve played together as kids”
If the US didn’t use their veto there would already have been 2 successful UN Security Council votes for a ceasefire, with actual powers to enforce it.
Just so we’re clear on who is funding, aiding and enabling the killing of thousands upon thousands of civilians in Palestine.
I feel like in the midst of all of these daily tragedies we might forget that the people of Gaza are literally not superheroes and they do not possess special powers that we don't. I know Palestinians have been dehumanised but it also feels like sometimes this dehumanisation comes in the form of attributing superpowers to Palestinians.
Palestinians don't want to die.
Just like you, they look forward to weekends, to their morning coffee. They plan birthday parties for their kids and they complain about the laundry. They have a favourite chocolate brand and they hate not being able to get that tune out of their head. They have preferences and arguments. And just like you, they hate the sight of blood.
the ghoulishness that Palestine has revealed under the West’s facade of civility is truly insane, thousands dead and celebrities wave around stickers encouraging genocide in a nice restaurant, SNL makes jokes at their expense, every media apparatus falls over themselves in their haste to call all pro-Palestinian movement terrorism, I mean it’s all rotten. Meanwhile, the IDF go completely mask off and begin bombing Lebanon bc with white phosphorus as their colonialist campaign expands more into the Middle East.
You need to be paying attention this, even if only out of self interest, because Israel’s ties go beyond the initial colonial perspective. The IDF already been proven to be training police in the US, and with current protests against Cop City in Georgia resulting in the threatened arrest of journalists, you have to be worried. Turning way and allowing Israel to carry out a genocide unimpeded spells out a future of fascism for the whole world.
It is day 25 now btw. There is a massacre happening right now in Gabaliya (populated area in the north) and in Al Nonsayat (in the south filled with refugees from the north).
They are now bombing the north and the south heavily. And officially the amount of explosives dropped on Gaza (18,000 tons) has surpassed the nuclear on Hiroshima in 1945 (12,000 tons).
Google Ambient Chaos if you ever need background noises for writing! It's a customizable soundscape website.
Anon, when I first saw this ask, I thought it was going to be one of those mixers of nice, traditional sounds, like rain or a coffeeshop. And it is! And there's lofi hiphop, my favorite sound to write to! Which means this is legitimately an excellent tool for writers, and I love you for introducing it to me.
But I also want to say. There are some choices here. That I need to point out. Because they're either fantastic or questionable, and I can't decide.
Things like . . .
Couple arguing.
Medieval battle.
Beehive, where you can write to a fuckton of bees.
Crime scene.
And actually the perfect soundscape for NaNoWriMo.
Ceasefire talks are reported to be at an advanced stage and Israel is taking the opportunity to intensify bombardments. Communications and phone signals have been lost in many parts of Gaza. If not all of Gaza.
Tareq Abu Azzoum had to report via satellite, unable to communicate with Al Jazeera.