The Currently: Here's What I'm Reading and Watching This Week

We are so bombarded with content that it takes a lot to capture our attention these days. I started a newsletter in part because there is so much to consume on the internet it can be hard to choose what is worth reading. 

This week, I was captivated by Hulu's latest addition, The Handmaid's Tale and the book "Plan B" by Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant.

The Handmaid's Tale is about what happens a society that takes away the rights of women, minorities, and LGBTQ people and aims to return to "traditional" values. It is based on a book that was written during the 1980's by Margaret Atwood. It has climbed to the best seller list ever since you know who and Mr. I Can't Have Dinner with Women were elected. It's not a political show but it is a show about what happens when we forget that, "every time we get rights somebody wants to take them away." The story is told from the viewpoint of a woman who finds herself trying to keep her sanity in the face of loss and tyranny. 

I started listening to Plan B on Audible and cried in the first 10 minutes. It's a story about how we choose to move on even in the face of devastating personal loss. Maybe you hate Sheryl Sandberg and think she's just a rich, white lady who runs Facebook. She is, but you know she's very aware of it and constantly reminds us that we need systemic changes so that we all have access to therapy and paid leave when we lose a loved one. Adam Grant's research on how we can become more resilient and not let setbacks deter us from our dreams is the perfect balance to Sheryl's story about losing her husband in 2015. 

Both this show and the book talk about the human experience and how we push through even in the face of tragedy, trauma and turmoil. How do we deal with loss? and how do we support each other through these circumstances? What systems of support do we need to survive and thrive? 

There's nothing I love more than books and stories that make me think. It's why I started this newsletter, to share that passion with all of you. 

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Have a Great Week!