A Gentle Return: My Small, Easy Hack for Joy
A used copy of The Greengage Summer arrived in my mailbox today. I ordered it on a whim — I read it when I was maybe fourteen and remember really liking it. I couldn’t tell you the plot exactly (something about France and older boys and a girl coming into herself), but I remember the feeling it gave me. And something about it stayed with me.
And now, here it is again. With its soft cover, yellowed pages, and old book smell.
It’s such a small thing, really. A $14 indulgence. But it felt like casting a line back to a younger version of myself, and reminding her that I haven’t forgotten her.
If you’re feeling uninspired, stuck or just tired of algorithms deciding what you should like, I highly recommend buying yourself a book that your younger self loved. Not to improve yourself or even to learn anything new. Just as a comfort, like a warm blanket of goodness around the little you who still lives inside you.
That’s it. I just thought I’d share small, easy pleasure that feels soft and familiar. Kind of like going on a visit to see who you once were.
Also on my list of treats for my younger self is this issue of Life magazine from 1986.
If you have an easy joy hack, for crying out loud, share it in the comments below. Have you been out there lately?! We can all use all the joy we can get right now.