Flow with Fatima

I was battling a headache this afternoon. As usual, I felt today was another day passing without direction. I'd like to blame the moon—it’s almost full again. I get this a lot, like clockwork, but most of the time, the days of the month slip through the spaces between my fingers until I reach the next paralyzing moment. In my self-imposed exile, I’ve come to see life as if I’m living in a fairytale, and this chapter is called Expanding Horizons. Since last weekend, I’ve watched five films: Julie and Julia, The Hundred-Foot Journey, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Front of the Class, and today, Good Will Hunting. Now, I’m not a fan of the arts—at least, that’s what I was told to believe. It was instilled in me that it’s nothing but a waste of time, a phrase I’ve been trying to heal from for years. I try to be careful with my words because words are swords that cut dreams and kill geniuses. I’m still trying to figure out what my genius might have been, had I not heard unsupporti...

Today's one of those days when I have to trick myself into accomplishing my daily quests. Just wash five items from the kitchen sink. Just fold five pieces of clothing. It's not going to take a lot of time to feed the dogs. Fine, you don't have to mop. I feel the weight of my boobs, and I have to wear a bra today. I only have two days left to go out and date myself—a weekly activity from the book The Artist's Way . But where will I go? What will I do? Like any sane person who lives alone and doesn't talk to anybody, I consulted ChatGPT for self-date ideas. I really don't have the energy to go out, and one of its recommendations was to go on a movie date. Why not? I haven't watched a movie in a long time, so it counts as doing something new for myself. I was recommended Julie & Julia , which made me both cry and feel inspired. I was 45 minutes in when I stopped the film to catch the sunset. The horizon was ablaze with gold, fading into soft blushes of...