Brain in a Vat

Most of you have a vague idea that I once trained to be a natural nutritionist...or that I used to do yoga three times a week, meditate, cook dinner from scratch, do crafts, use the public library.

But the fun times had to end, I believed. Grown-ups need to make money, build a safety net, start a trust fund.

So, I took a large scholarship to do a degree I knew I didn't want, to help land a job in an industry I no longer believed in. I got trained to do quasi-scientific research and write long documents that are hard to read. Perfect skills for a future public servant! ;-) So, I took a position for the federal government, where there is less pressure to produce, but the writing is equally obtuse.

I often used to feel just like a brain in a vat. Typing, tapping, thinking, thinking.

But lately, I've have the space to stretch, read, eat a mostly vegetarian diet, hike, bike, tell stories, take pictures. Less pressure on myself to get published, get a promotion, have a baby, build a house. It feels good to get back to the basics.

Portrait of my psychotherapist in her office at 7:59 am.