the weekly | 01.15.25
returning to the classics, what's in my bag, and help! my hands are dry af
I keep returning to personal style as a collection of textures. The qualities within smaller details of a person that inform their unique composition. It’s what ring you wear on which index finger or the choice between diet coke vs. coke zero vs. pepsi zero sugar. It’s the astute assumption that someone may own an industrial-grade steamer. TSA trays and grocery baskets don’t quite embody the coarseness of a person — not in the way gutting a handbag would.
What spills out can be as intimate as the records that soothe us on a Friday night and the hidden treasures stowed away in “junk” drawers and hallway closets: photo booth strips and a bin of 5”x7”s, ticket stubs, seashells, buttons and a grandmother’s vintage compact. The vase of flowers on your nightstand and the books that pass through illuminate a discreet context.
It’s what feels so especially distressing about the fires raging the hills of Los Angeles.
Memories, no, tactility scorched.
My heart goes out to those who have suffered from the unimaginable loss and ongoing fear. Take care. Communities have mobilized — organizing donation drives, spreading wildfire safety awareness, and disseminating funds into the accounts of those affected.
I can’t stop thinking about the increasing number of insurance companies dropping coverage in areas where weather has become increasingly volatile. No flood insurance in Florida and no wildfire insurance in California feels like an eviction notice. These areas become unlivable for most Americans.
Altadena, a capsule of Black prosperity, is ravaged but not forgotten.
Lessons learned: create a “go” bag. Homeowners and renters everywhere should have a home inventory video to help account for all valuables.
