Regular Friday Mystery Column

This my third stab at a recap of the week and, oh my, what a week it's been. 

Aftermath of Celebrity Dying Spree I found it cathartic all the talk of death this week. My greatest motivating influence in life is to either escape or accept my inevitable death. Since I don't think I will find a way to live forever, I think it's best to work on the acceptance thing. I think the discourse around Michael Jackson's death was flimsy although I enjoyed dancing to his music quite a bit this week. However, the tributes to Philadelphia Weekly writer Steven Wells got me crying while reading on the R5. 

Everybody Needs a Job I recently hired a friend to help me with cleaning and writing tasks and have a running list of 5 friends looking for work. I would start an employment service, but unfortunately I don't have any decent job leads at the moment. According to the news, the employment rate will likely rise to 10%. Every day, I am grateful that I am employed. 

Like Mark Sanford, I Got Something on the Side This week I started my own blog, but that didn't mean that I stopped blogging here at One Find Philly. Although I haven't quite sorted out my identity yet. I think my private blog, Planet Caroline,will be more personal and less about parties and Philly events. I think the blog will evolve over time, but I don't plan on letting it distract me from this blog. I love writing on a group blog and appreciate the collaboration with some awesome people (some of whom I've met and some I haven't).

I'm going to cut this blog piece short. I have a day off today and it's time for my nap.

Mark Sanford Made Me Smile

After being bogged down with tales of death and mayhem in Iran, on DC Metro trains, in West Philadelphia neighborhoods, in Pakistan, North Korea, Iraq. Everywhere I turned it seemed like someone new had died or had gotten cancer. Perinatal HIV on the rise. Neda. Ed McMahon. Another child gunned down in a city street.

Plus the minor annoyances like the rain, the Septa delays, the people who say they care, but won't look me in the eye. This week I started losing my optimism. I skipped my volunteer job on Tuesday and stared mindlessly in the face of the tv- something that cannot possibly love me back. But could numb me out for a while.

Today I went for my usual late lunch at 1:30 pm and when I returned at 2:30, I looked at Twitter and saw Argentina, GOP, Sanford as trending topics. And I read the tweets. The stories, recaps, tasteless jokes.

And I smiled. This politician's sordid affair was so big in the world of news. And I suspected we were riveted because we desperately needed a moment of distraction. From the global recession and the death and suffering that seems to be everywhere.

Thank you Mark Sanford for giving me a few moments of rest from the real problems of my life and of the world.