After 3+ months of writing this newsletter as Connect x3, I’ve learned that the initial format (which relied on receiving at least a couple submissions from other people) was probably not the most sustainable. So, I’m adapting it to be what I’m now calling Running on Connection (a play on words that merges my passions for running and connecting people and ideas). The main theme will still be “connection” but I’ll no longer rely on getting stories from others.
Instead, in each edition, I’ll focus on a different experience of, lesson from and/or pondering about connection (in all the forms it can take). Each story will include a few takeaways or questions. And yes, many will likely involve running in some way, but I promise to connect them back to a broadly relatable takeaway. I’ll also leave room to share other content if I feel compelled.
You’re still welcome to submit something if you feel like it (in the format of an original entry or a comment), and I’ll feature those submissions when I receive them. Your continued readership is appreciated!
Celebrating a New Ritual
I’ve recently adopted new a ritual of doing my regular trips to Trader Joe’s (TJ’s) on Monday mornings right when they open (a perk of a mostly WFH setup). At first, I figured that Mondays tend to be the pits anyway so why not dive right in by knocking out grocery shopping, one of the “chores” I often delay most. (Because when you’re in the city, making your way through the grocery store can feel like pushing your way through a crowded nightclub at times. It takes some mental preparation.)
But going first thing Monday morning transformed the experience from a sometimes-dreaded chore to something I look forward to each week or two. It gets me up and moving first thing in the week, and instead of polluting my ears with music or the news right away on my walk there, I’ve decided to commit to going headphone-less. I listen to the birds chirping and the taxis honking, and I observe my neighbors taking their dogs on their morning walks, strolling back from their early-morning workout class or hustling to get their kids to school on time. I watch delivery men make their morning rounds to the bodegas, food trucks serve their first coffee or pastry orders, and neighborhood friends wave to or fist bump each other as they go about their morning routines. In short, I watch my neighborhood wake up.
And when I get to TJ’s that early, there are no crowds. It’s just me and my closest 10-20 friends or so who have also cracked the New York grocery shopping code. On one particular morning, after grabbing a new flavor of sparkling water to try while I shopped, I was deciding whether to go for strawberries or blackberries when one of my fellow early-morning comrades excitedly came up beside me. “Oh my god! Raspberries are on sale two for $5. That’s a steal. The other week, I froze some for smoothies, and the others I ate as some form of dessert every night. They’re so in season and tasty right now. You better get some too.”
I smiled, at first a little startled by this pre-coffee, early morning and high-energy encounter. The enthusiasm with which this man talked about raspberries at first made me wonder if he was at the top of some sort of raspberry pyramid scheme. But I gotta be honest — he sold me. I abandoned my strawberry vs blackberry debate and went for the two-pack deal of raspberries instead.
Later that day, when I was making my lunch, I mixed a handful of those raspberries with some yogurt, and damn if that man wasn’t right. Those raspberries were delightful. And I looked forward to trying them in some new combination or form each day until they ran out. When they did, I knew it was time for another Monday morning ritual.
3 Learnings from this New Ritual & Mr. Raspberry:
Being fully present feels energizing. These days, it can be the norm to do at least three things at once (watching TV while scrolling on your phone… while cleaning). Taking time to enjoy my regular morning stroll to TJ’s and not do anything on the way except observe the scenes around me not only makes the task feel like less of a chore, but it actually makes it feel like a rejuvenating treat that makes me feel more connected to my community.
Not all strangers who talk to you randomly are trying to hustle you for something. Sometimes, they’re just friendly. The former default setting is probably a side effect of living in a city like New York, where I've made the mistake of stopping to answer requests for what I thought were directions only for someone to try and recruit me for some matriarchal church in Midtown no less than six times. But my encounter with Mr. Raspberry reminded me that sometimes — oftentimes — people are just making conversation or, in this case, spreading the good word about in-season fruit that is delightful. Make room for random conversation, however fleeting.
Take time to enjoy life's small joys. A nearly empty grocery store. The sound of birds in the morning. Relatively quiet streets of a normally bustling few blocks. And yes, delightfully sweet treats on sale.
Connect soon,
Katie
Have one you’d like to share? Leave it in the comments or share it with me here: