‘Tis the end of one chapter and the beginning of a new one
It’s officially summer.
As an adult, summer doesn’t really mean much to me. The husband and I are averse to crowds so we try to vacation in the fall and spring, preferring the peace that comes with the company of retirees, digital nomads, and DINKs. It’s usually too hot or suffocatingly humid to properly take advantage of sunny days, and bitey bugs snack in the evenings and at night. At least, this has been my experience as a native Texan.
Summer used to mean going to the beach. For several summers in my childhood, my family would stay at a rundown, beachside motel that has since been demolished and fortunately no longer exists. My dad liked it because he could grill his carne, pollo, and sausage right outside our room. We hated it because of the tapascuanes — tiny roaches — we’d find crawling on the carpet or in cabinets and drawers. But I also loved the beach and looked forward to eating breakfast at Denny’s, so there were lots of mixed emotions.
But this year, summer DOES feel like a new season, a new chapter.
The Selena Sing-A-Long Show ended its successful show run earlier this month. We sold out four out of five shows; the last three sold out ahead of time. Growing up, I sang and danced to Selena’s music and dreamed of being on a stage — and I actually got to do that, bustier and all. Box checked. Is this what manifesting is?
As a Tejana, it’s hard to describe the sense of pride and gratitude I feel for the opportunity to play in my world. We played characters that were close to our own experience. Most of us in the cast grew up speaking Spanglish or Spanish with large extended families so we played versions of our abuelas, tias, primas, vecinos, and other people in our lives. I think the audience loved seeing themselves represented on stage. The Spanglish was a huge hit. One of the biggest laughs I got was in response to our lead asking her primas to gather around. “Pos estamos gathered.” There were some guffaws.
While being on stage performing improv (and singing and dancing) was a blast, I’m ready to focus on more written comedy. I’d love to do sketch again, and of course, I’m still trying to figure out if standup is for me. My anxiety sometimes clouds my judgment, so I’d like to get past that point — and that only happens with practice.
More change is on the way… (no, I’m not pregnant)
I start a new full-time job next month!
A few months ago I started freelancing again and quickly remembered why I hate a lot of it. The freelance writing that pays well (SEO) is not the kind of writing I want to do. It zaps my creativity which defeats the purpose of working for myself anyway. I also craved some of the structure and accountability. I learned I work better when I have limits and constraints. I still have dreams of self-employment, but I need to rethink what that could look like for someone like me.
I’m not spilling the job deets yet. You’ll just have to wait until I announce it on LinkedIn at the end of July. You can follow me here.
But until then, I’m writing. I’ve been writing! I just haven’t been publishing. I should probably do that more. Some of you actually read these posts! I’m working on…
- Two new TV pilot scripts (and then will move onto revisions)
- New jokes for standup
- Essays about so many random things
Finally, I can’t forget to mention Twitter… 🪦
I don’t want to support that platform anymore, so I deleted three accounts I had. (Take THAT, Elon! I hope your subscriber numbers are worse than GoJo’s.) It makes me sad because it’s a great community for writers of all kinds. It was also a place where you could engage with your idols. I’ve definitely made friends through Twitter. Sigh.
So, it’s true, my funemployment is coming to an end. But I’m ok with that. I’m looking forward to the new job and the opportunities that will come with being at a more established company. I’ll still be working 100% remote, with the occasional travel to meet in person, and will continue to have a flexible schedule too.
I’ve also spent a lot of time working on myself, getting to the root causes of my stress and anxiety, which has been hard. I thought I’d already dealt with the trauma of my childhood, but it turns out I just repressed everything. Whoops! I’m also learning how to cope with ADHD symptoms and mood fluctuations by practicing mindfulness and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) skills. The I Have ADHD podcast has been a great resource too.
Facing uncomfortable emotions is extremely hard, but the work is paying off. I’m much more productive and spend less time agonizing over every decision. And I’m excited to take these new skills with me into this next chapter.
Cristy writes. 