I cannot stop thinking about how I want to open a community center of sorts. I listened to this episode of The Ezra Klein Show last month and it solidified for me how much my community is lacking. And probably how much all of our communities are lacking.
My husband and I talked about it too. What were the spaces that supported community when we were kids? The best answer I can come up with is church, and I think that is still true today. Living in Texas, church is a big thing here. Most people seem to belong to one, but I’ve never felt the draw that so many of my peers have felt. And I wonder if more and more young people identify less with faith, or if it’s just me and my biased lens.
Either way, I do worry that people who don’t have a religion are missing out on building community and connection because of their lack of third place. Caitlyn Collins is the guest on the episode of The Ezra Klein Show and she talks about Sweden’s community centers and how open they are to everyone. It’s so nice that there are spaces available where anyone can go and get what they need whether it’s a space to meet up with friends or host events, a play area for kids, a cafe to buy drinks and food items, a place to work when you don’t want to be at home, free classes for the community, etc. I think of it a little bit like the library but it also has a playground and a coffee shop. And I know some of you have cooler libraries than me so these amenities are an option. I’m jealous!
I can’t imagine the cost of building and furnishing a space like this that has indoor and outdoor access, but I do love dreaming about it! I think it would be such a fun place to spend time with family and loved ones and get to know others in the community. I’m craving a space like that for this stage of my life, but I can see where it would be beneficial no matter what stage you’re in or even to know that kids have somewhere safe to hang out after school.
Do you have a dream endeavor that you would pursue if time and money were not a problem?
✍🏻🎶 The Tortured Poets Department Initial Reaction
I’m not capable of staying up late to wait for album releases anymore, but I did wake up super early on Friday so I could listen to Taylor Swift’s new album in peace. It was nice to get to listen and read through the lyrics as I did to try to understand everything. It was a lot to take in, even more so because the tracklist increased to 31 songs overnight as she released a surprise double album!
I shared a few of my initial thoughts on Instagram but I wanted to go a little more in-depth on favorite songs and thoughts. In no particular order:
I’m really missing a catchy bop. I think The Alchemy and I Can Do It With A Broken Heart can fill in a bit, especially with the immediately iconic “lights, camera, bitch, smile” line.
This album feels so mature. I know people will disagree with that because there are so many unhinged lyrics, but I believe that part of the confidence in saying those weird, internal thoughts comes with age.
I’m so happy that she kept many of the details of her and Joe’s breakup private. I know many were looking forward to getting all the tea on what went wrong in their relationship. The album doesn’t paint Joe in a poor light at all. It just tells the story of the two drifting apart and they don’t really understand why.
Matty Healy continues to be a POS. Everyone is shocked at how much of the album is inspired by Matty Healy. I read a comment on Reddit reminding everyone that a 3-month relationship inspired Red and All Too Well with Jake Gyllenhaal, so this is not out of character for Taylor. But yes… Matty is The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived and she pretty much tells us exactly why.
And on that note, I think it’s important that we remember that while many lyrics are written from her life, not everything is. She is a storyteller and she embellishes. It seems that some songs are partially about her relationship with Joe and partially about her situationship with Matty. And then there’s some stuff about her way past relationships with Jake and John Mayer… and maybe a little bit of Harry? Idk. I do know that she has spoken publicly about pulling inspiration from TV and books in the past too so it’s not all about her.
I don’t love the continued beef with Kim K and the rest of the Kardashians. I get it and love that thanK you aIMee is like Mean 2.0.
Favorite songs from Day 1 of listening:
Fortnight: Post Malone and Taylor sound soooo good together! And the music video is really good! I think it’s Taylor’s best-directed music video yet!
The Alchemy: A TRAVIS SONG!! I was not expecting to get Travis songs so early but I love it! Did y’all hear that AI-generated song going around TikTok about “Travy making it to the big game?” This is kinda that song 🤣 in the best way possible. The TikTok song was super catchy and so is this one!
Florida!!!: I’m such a big fan of Florence + The Machine and screamed when I saw Florence and Taylor collaborate for this album. This song is so Ceremonials. I want to learn every word and scream it in my car. Also, calling it now that “Fuck me up, Florida” is going to be THE Instagram caption of the summer.
Guilty as Sin?: Y’all… this song is hot 🥵 I’m going to avoid ever thinking about who it’s about, but it’s so catchy! The vibe is similar to the 1989TV bonus tracks and I’m so here for more of it!
loml: This is when I started crying. My god, Taylor! This song is heartwrenching!
I Can Do It With a Broken Heart: I said on IG that this song is for the eldest daughters. I can just see Taylor performing this on the Eras Tour too. It’s so Midnights!
The Black Dog: This one really got me too. It’s all about watching someone carry on with their life after the relationship has ended. The music picking up with “old habits die screaming” gives me goosebumps.
How Did It End?: To me, this is the true Track 5 of the album. Which works because it is Track 5 on the “B side”. But yeah… no idea what caused the end of her and Joe’s relationship, but it ended and it’s very sad.
Overall, I need more time with the album. It’s a lot to take in. And while I like the overall tone and there are some standouts to me, I haven’t latched on to one absolute favorite yet. Like when I listened to Midnights, I knew immediately that my favorite was Maroon. And with Folklore, I knew I loved Cardigan. So we’ll see. I can see this becoming one of my favorite albums, but I think that’s because I love post-1989 Taylor more than early Taylor. Here is my ranking of the Eras that I shared last summer.
What are your thoughts on TTPD? Favorite songs?
ICYMI
I wrote a little about the feeling of finishing society’s checklist and where I’m at now
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Same on the community space! We have cafes here that have tons of playground equipment but they cafes charge you like $20/hour to let your kid pay. It’s not super expensive but also why TF can’t we just have family-friendly cafes that aren’t monetizing everything?
All this to say, yes, I’d LOVE to have these community centers. I’m part of a non-Christian religion and it isn’t organized so I’ve never experienced faith-based community. It sounds lovely and have I thought about changing religions just to access this level of community? Lol yes. Especially immediately postpartum 🙈
I dream of opening a community space like this too! Maybe someday 🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼