When we were teenagers, my brother and I somehow learned the word “contrapposto” and became temporarily obsessed with it. If you haven’t heard it before, the art term basically describes a person standing with their weight on one leg, so the rest of their body ends up curving. (Think: David and Venus.) For ages afterward, we would spot a stranger at the grocery store or movie theater leaning into one leg and whisper “contrapposto” to each other. This week, it all came flooding back when I snapped this photo of Toby and me and saw my sweet lanky teenager with that classic curve!
Simone Biles crushing it at the Paris Olympics and showing the world how you can be the very best, even — especially — if you take mental health breaks. So good to remember, don’t you think?
Speaking of Paris, in this funny old video, comedians John Early and Kate Berlant lament about how much they miss Paris after traveling there. “I feel like I was born in Paris.” “It’s hard because I think about all the times I was in Paris…as opposed to now.” (via Shop Rat)
Lastly, Anton is at summer camp for the first time, and I was feeling a little nervous, so huge thanks to CoJ reader Hilary for her beautiful pep talk: “As a former kid who went to sleepaway camp, I can only offer this: trust him. Trust that he’s having fun, trust that he can manage his emotions if he isn’t, trust that he knows when to ask an adult for something, and trust that he is as cool, brave and interesting to the world as you think he is. He is going to make friends and memories that will last a lifetime. I am 39 and my yearly summer camp weeks were some life highlights, even now.” Does anyone else have kids in camp right now?
What about you? What fun things have you come across lately? I’m so sleepy tonight and would love to hear!
P.S. More fun things, and a darkly funny book I can’t stop thinking about.
