"Since the pandemic started, I've wanted to stay connected with our community. Through the form of a weekly blog, I share my insights and reflections on various topics."
In 2017, when back-to-back Category 5 hurricanes Irma and Maria slammed into Puerto Rico over a five-day period, the devastation was widespread. One of the hardest hit areas was Cayo Santiago, home to rhesus macaque colonies.
If you watch the news regularly, you might be dismayed because it seems like nothing good is ever reported. Wars, political turmoil, immigration issues, and crime dominate the reporting. This week, I heard about a young man from Abidjan in the Cote d’Ivoire, and his story was very inspiring.
“Because the only thing in life that’s really worth having is a good skill,” he said. “Good skill is the greatest possession. The things that money buys are fine. They’re good. I like them. But having a skill [is the most important thing].” This quote was from an interview that Jerry Seinfeld had with The New Yorker in response to a question about why he still works so much despite having so much money.
In the Opinions section of The Washington Post earlier this week, I saw a phrase that was new to me: forest bathing. Dr. Leona Wen, a contributing columnist to the Post, wrote about this practice, in which one immerses oneself in nature, with benefits that include reduced stress, lower blood pressure, improved moods, better sleep, and stronger immune systems.
Do you remember the game called Telephone from when you were a child? Each person whispers to the person next to them, with the idea that they have to say exactly what they heard from the person before them. It generally ends with the last person stating a word or phrase that is nowhere near what the first person said.
Over the past week or so, the New York Times has had a Friendship Challenge. The idea is to provide some science-backed strategies to help revive fizzling friendships and deepen your close ties.