The genius of April and Andy

Photo credit NBC

I, along with everyone I know, am on a huge Parks and Rec high at the moment. They are ending it on such a high note - harkening back to some of the series' most memorable jokes without getting too heavy-handed. (Exhibit A: Treat Yoself 2017!) And the characters have all developed in believable ways since the show left off three years previous.

But I think my favorite part of the season so far is April and Andy and how they've evolved over the course of the series. When they first got together, April, for all her anti-social quirks, was the responsible one with a steady job. Andy was a sort of dopey guy who mostly wanted to play with his band and shine the occasional shoe. Now, a few years later, Andy has parlayed his childlike sense of fun and imagination into a successful, fulfilling creative career. He's doing a grown-up version of what he’s always loved. April, on the other hand, is fumbling a bit, feeling like she's wasted ten years of her life on a job that's not her real passion, but unsure what her real passion is. And along the way, they each made a few attempts at new careers that didn't pan out – Andy with the police academy and April with veterinary school.

That portrayal of a young couple figuring out their careers feels so realistic to me. The roles can reverse, over time, with regards to who is secure and confident in their path and who is searching and struggling. It’s not that there are some people who always have their shit together and some people who never do. Instead, it’s a constantly evolving process as we all go through periods of stability and periods of questioning in our career paths. It rings true with what I’ve learned about life and career so far – that periods of feeling lost and uncertain can lead to greater growth and fulfillment (and, apparently, TV gigs as Johnny Karate). And that just because you know what you're doing now doesn't mean you always will.

Of course, I also love the portrayal of Leslie and Ben addressing the challenge of balancing their relationship with their careers in politics and public service. But they're a bit further along than I am in their careers and family life. At this point, April and Andy are where it's at.

The daily card, weeks 3 and 4

                       I started making cards on January 1 but got a late start in posting them, so I'm playing catch-up on the blog even though I'm up-to-date in real life. I'm a huge fan of this batch overall - at this point I felt like I was getting the hang of it and coming up with ideas I really liked. Lessons learned so far: I have found that I sometimes have great ideas during the workday but then less motivation to translate them into reality when I come home at night. So I'm glad I have the daily challenge to make sure that I actually use my ideas.  It's also a bit frustrating when the cards don't come out quite like I'd imagined them, since I'm still mastering techniques like "holding your hand steady while stamping on photos," but that's all part of the creative process, I suppose.

Love these cards, love this project, excited to share weeks 5 and 6 next week.

This is your reset position

In 2014, I became a huge Bar Method addict. “Reasons I love Bar Method” is a topic for another day complete with promotional video. But I go to class most weekdays and it has become a huge part of my daily routine, one that keeps me healthy and balanced and starting my mornings on a positive note.

During one of the exercises, you support your leg with your hand between reps, and the instructors will say “this is your reset position.” It seems to be part of the Bar Method phrasebook along with “you’re shaking so hard you look like you’re going to fall over.” (It's all about the shake.) and “Retuck, resqueeze.” (It's also all about the tucking and squeezing). 

Last spring, my organization held a huge event with almost 100 young party activists at a hotel on the beach in Sousse, Tunisia. (Tough gig, I know.) Like a lot of work events, it was intense and round-the-clock – lots of work, lots of socializing, lots of political debate. I found myself escaping to the beach to walk through the waves before breakfast or to watch the sunset after I'd closed the laptop for the evening. I tried to make it at least once a day.
   

Sitting on the beach one evening, after the sun had set, the phrase popped into my head – this is your reset position. And it was true. It was a literal and figurative breath of fresh air in the middle of long, crazy days. Work trips entail a huge, exciting, exhausting overlap of work and life and travel. In the midst of all that stuff piling up, I needed that time to myself - to come back to myself. It was like wiping the slate clean and starting fresh. Washing everything away. Refreshing the page. Starting back at zero.

This is your reset position.

Lots of things can be reset positions. Writing and reading and creating and running and going to Bar Method and walking on the beach and getting 10,000 steps and drinking wine. They are so necessary, especially for a textbook introvert like me. You need those pauses, rests, times to refresh, times to come back to yourself.
This is your reset position.