TGIF :: ClearLife in NYC
A weekly drop on all things ClearLife – this is #2!
“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” – Henry Miller
It was spring break for the kids (15 and 12) this week, so we brought them to New York for the first time to explore the city and spend time with local relatives.
Among long walks, museum visits, exotic sidewalk meals, and countless subway rides, we together had several unexpected ClearLife serendipities. I am passionate about this cultural shift into heightened awareness around the “life price” of our dimmers, particularly alcohol, so I’m sharing these micro-doses of inspiration as this week’s ClearLife TGIF.
1. “Don’t Let Those Boys Drink.”
The Scene: A Union Square bagel shop, chatting with “Bob from the Bronx” at a neighboring table. We shared exchanges with this kind older gentleman about life in California, the spring weather, his cousin who plays piano for a rockstar, the kids’ baseball teams, and other smalltalk.
As we stood to say goodbye, Bob kept talking. Out of nowhere, he mentioned risks associated with drinking on planes, “the alcohol can impact you more…I lost a family member to alcoholism.” A moment passed as I took in his share. “I’m sorry. Me too, my own mother” I replied. He caught my eyes through his heavily fingerprinted glasses. “Yeah, so I don’t drink,” he continued, his Bronx accent particularly thick now. “Me neither. It’s been years now,” I said, extending my hand for a fist bump that awkwardly never landed. “Good,” he said, now looking at the kids standing right next to me. “Don’t let those boys drink, ok?”
2. “So Loud.”
The Scene: A rare UberXL our group of five took to an uptown attraction after dinner. Our driver, a soft-spoken Sikh, shared his experience of driving drunk people, his typical clientele at that hour, in his perfectly maintained car we could tell he drove with pride. “They insist on connecting to my stereo and playing very loud music, even for a five minute drive. Then they themselves are loud, often yelling at each other, and are the most likely to leave belongings in the car, a real hassle. Very sad.”
3. “ClearLife, I Love It.”
The Scene: A visit to Walden, a Williamsburg-based “boutique company that creates products to inspire ritual, encourage the present moment, and honor tactility.” As we chatted with Eddie, the founder, a super high-energy, fun and creative human (full disclosure, we first met when we made a small investment in Walden in 2021), he lit up when I mentioned ClearLife. “Me too! I started 2023 taking a break and it felt so good, I’ve stuck with it.”
“What’s your favorite feature so far?” I asked. He thought for a moment, then with a piercing stare responded “Time. More time.” I explained that in my case I discovered one thousand hours a year of “found time” when I put down my dimmer… roughly three hours a day on average that was fuzzy or recovering from being fuzzy. We agreed that not only do we have more time, but with a clearer sense of preferences and aversions without this dimmer, we get to be more discerning about how we spend it. :)
4. No Numbing, Please
The Scene: A visit to Peoplehood, a female-founded Wisdom Ventures portfolio company that offers a “first-of-its-kind practice designed to improve our relationships, starting with ourselves.”
Amidst their awe-inspiring three floors of bright, white, intentional space, they have several collections of small bottles displayed on shelves. These serve as a way for participants to “capture” what comes up in the sessions, the dark ones reflecting what we want to put down, let go, the light ones what we want to nurture and grow. The image speaks for itself. Numbing.
5. The Glass Half Full
The Scene: Walking towards the subway in Williamsburg, we stumble upon Boisson, a “nonalcoholic retailer that carries the best alcohol-free wine, beer, spirits, and more.” The kids were patient as I poked around and took a picture of this gorgeous spot in a super hip neighborhood. As I posted in IG that day, if you don’t notice the AF / NA movement, you might not be paying attention. :)
In Sum, Awareness is Great … and Do You.
Seeing a seemingly drunk lady try to stand up straight in a restaurant today, my youngest commented “That’s sad.” His brother and I explained we really don’t know what is going on with her, or anyone else for that matter. We can choose what we do (or don’t do), but let’s not judge others and their choices. “That’s cool, I like it,” he said. End of discussion.
I have no way of knowing what my kids’ relationship with alcohol (or any other dimmers) will be, but they are more informed about these choices than I was at their ages. It was a gift to have so many unexpected opportunities to further heighten awareness on the topic this week, not to mention share many fantastic meals without booze because let’s admit it, they are watching more than listening these days.
And, they’ll make their own choices. Don’t we all? Every single day.
Onward ❤️
Miscellaneous…
Reading: Sex at Dawn, a fascinating rethink of just about everything we thought we knew about humanity and sex. Note the link goes to a Bookshop.org, a B Corp that supports independent bookstores; also available on Amazon, of course.
Eating: Lily’s Coconut Dark Chocolate (stevia sweetened). The kids even like the milk chocolate version.
Wearing: My black on black Air Jordans. Red laces. All. Week. Long. They make me feel like a fun mom :) 💃🏻
Great job ... The pics really add to the story. So many lessons here!
Cecily, this is so inspiring! You made me more aware of my dimmers and how to choose more wisely what I take in my body. Deep gratitude for the scenes you share - so enchanting and revealing to look at life through your beautiful eyes. Grazie bellezza!