Song of the Week:
BIRDS OF A FEATHER by: Billie Eilish
Spread Your Wings
Can I just start this with saying, Happy 30th editorial- which is also a 6-month birthday of TUT! We have made it y’all! Hitting every 10th of an editorial is a huge milestone in my mind. Sometimes I swear I have ADHD because I find groups of 10’s easy to deal with mathematically, making it easier to see and digest progress. To celebrate this special occasion, I brought a special guest. Someone who works behind the scenes and most importantly keeps me accountable to my audience and myself. Who also celebrated her birthday this past weekend!
Let me formally introduce Jazmin Flores. To me, she is a very intelligent Gemini who takes pride in her background and values. She can always see both sides better than I can, which is why her input always leaves my brain spinning. If you know her, it’s a blessing, and you’re about to find out why. Join us for the first Co-Collective edition of this blog.
Jazmin’s Version
I’ve always fantasized about being a writer – the type of writer who can articulate raw feelings and emotions, capturing what it means to be human.
I strive to be the type of writer that can draw connections from point A to point Z and connect two seamlessly disparate ideas and tie them into a beautifully arranged bow.
I write to process my thoughts and emotions, to make sense of the world. Writing is a practice, a ritual in which I engage with to create meaning of what I see, what I experience, what I feel. It makes me feel less alone in my human experience, hoping that others may resonate with it and that we are connected through the shared experience.
Over the years, writing has taken many forms for me. When I first started a journal, I used it as a brain dump, a space where I could word vomit and just let it all out. During my study abroad in Ireland, I meticulously kept a record of the places I traveled to, the things I had done, what I had seen, what I ate, what I felt. I wanted to document my experience in hopes of revisiting it when I am older.
These days, the writing I create ranges from unhinged journal entries to grief diaries to brain dumps to book reviews to more polished blogs I share for a public audience.
While distinct in nature, one theme emerges, I continue to write to document my life. I write to create a record of all the things I’ve experienced and to process how these experiences have shaped my perspective and affected my personal journey.
A couple of weeks ago my cowriter and I were having a conversation where we were bouncing back and forth ideas on what this Co-Collective would be. In this conversation we had a discussion on how we both enjoyed documenting our lives through writing and photographs. This struck me as a very human experience. I think as humans we all crave to have some sort of public record that serves as a reminder that we were here, that we existed, that we have lived these lives. Writing, in many ways, achieves a form of immortality. Our words, once written, transcend time. They capture moments, thoughts, and emotions that might otherwise fade into oblivion. This paradox of permanence through impermanence fascinates me. While life is fleeting, writing allows us to leave a part of ourselves behind, bridging our existence with the future. Through writing, we connect to our past, present, and future. When we write, we focus on our present moment and experiences, but we also connect with our past selves and leave a legacy for those who will come after us. Writing is my way of saying,
“I was here. I existed. I lived.”
Janessa’s Version
Six months in, and my favorite thing about writing is how much weight gets lifted off my shoulders.
The only experience I had with writing before was educational, and we all know that those assignments are the worst. I carried this attitude through college until I discovered the bliss of writing my thoughts. That changed the game for me because I realized I could be educational while still expressing my own ideas, and it was successful.
When I graduated, I thought I missed schoolwork. The more I thought about it, what I really missed, was the idea of writing my thoughts and sharing them.
In my mind, my blog will never be educational nor a typical blog in the traditional sense. I view my writing as a tool to keep myself from drowning in my sea of thoughts and feelings. I write the way I think, down to the way I speak. What I do want is my audience to have a true picture of who I am.
I want people to know me.
My fear of fading into obscurity or just becoming another face in the crowd on this spinning rock we call Earth is what motivates me to write. The main reason I started my blog is to have documentation of my life on the internet. As daunting as that sounds, it reassures me to know that a part of me will remain forever.
This simple idea of forever allows me to surrender and find peace. All my life, I never had certainty. I couldn’t be certain of where I was going to live, the friends I would make, the family who surrounded me, or even what I would like. I never had the idea of forever. Which sounds crazy to say. But since I never had it, I did not understand its value. It wasn’t until I met my partner’s love that I wanted forever.
On the other hand, forever can be just as scary. I was in this boat for a long time. I wanted choices, I wanted to zip out, I wanted all the directions Life offered. Losing this felt so uncomfortable to my body, I truly wasn’t used to it.
However, throughout my life, I noticed I have always kept photos. Anytime I would be given photographs, birthday cards, receipts, cute letters, tags, literally anything, I would keep them. All in my photo albums to tie me back to that moment in time. I am a hoarder I knooow. Holding on to these items was my way of being forever. I remember every detail, every thought, every moment. It was my way of connecting the dots, leaving little traces of myself.
Therefore, I continue to do this with my writing. Contributing to this vast thing called the internet. I exist, in the isty-bitsy-est corner of the realm of blogging.
“It tells the story of my life.“
Leave your Mark
Behind the scenes, Jazmin and I explored our feelings about writing. We connected with each other on many levels which is why she is the perfect fit to be my first Co-Collective writer. She understands me even when I don’t make complete sentences plus, she questions everything like I do.
As mortal beings, we could never truly understand what it feels like to be immortal. We bond over history like nerds trying to find ways to leave our everlasting touch on this Earth. Life can be so big and beautiful yet so heartbreaking all in the same breath.
To end on a good note, I leave you all with the Song of the Week “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” by Billie Eilish. It is risky to include a song this new into TUT’s playlist. For some odd reason, this song has been stuck in our heads for a week straight! Clearly, it’s music to our ears. We love it. This song uses such a cute metaphor to reference alike people sticking together through thick and thin. Much about life is how our various experiences and emotions shapes us, yet we find people to who just get us.
Just as Jazmin and I did. We find comfort in writing to share our thoughts and finding solace in the connections we make along the way. Having a bond to last forever and ever, is something everyone wishes for. It’s probably one of the most beautiful human experiences we can have. As Billie puts it “if it’s forever, then it’s even better.” Because life is just better when we stick together.
Thank you for joining us on this journey at The Unfinished Times. Don’t forget to follow me for more insightful content, give a shout-out to spread the word, and consider signing up for our Co-Collective to be part of our vibrant community. And if you missed any posts from previous weeks, take a moment to catch up! Let’s continue exploring, sharing, and growing together! See you in the next post~XOXO
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