Gloria also happens to be one of my number one apocalyptic
dream comrades—precisely because she’s so damn good at hanging out. Who
wouldn’t want to see the world going up in flames in the company of a devoted chiller? Gloria is unflappable, dedicated to hanging out at all costs, and even
as she’s being sassy, you know it’s only a matter of time before she gets all
sincere and deep. Even as she’s saying, “I can’t deal,” her other motto—“The
year of living dangerously”—is never far behind.
She’s the perfect person to talk to about The Business of Staying Alive,
the type who can keep things casual even as she’s gearing up to get ready for
the worst.
me: I was just
looking at your blog and I have to say I really dig the pic of you hanging out
with the tropical foliage.
Gloria: You
should. I look good.
me: Hahaha! K, do
you want to start by talking about the blog a little? Like, where did the
concept come from? And in what ways has it evolved since you started?
Gloria: Sure. I
talked about it in my first post a little but the idea was born at the
end of an EPIC hang out day I was having with my buddy Janelle. She
complimented me saying I was the queen of hanging out and I brushed it off and
she was like, "No I am serious. You should write a book about it".
And I realized I did want to write a book about it. But that idea seemed daunting
so I thought as a beginning point I would start to write about the topic via
blog so I could flesh out some concepts and also just to get in the habit of
writing regularly.
me: And how has it
been?
Gloria: It's been
rad!! I use to do a zine and it's nice to have a platform to discuss different
issues again.
me: Omg, I'm
sorry, I feel so groggy. Hold on!
Gloria: Haha,
you're fine. Robo tripping.
me: Hahaha! Have
you noticed things being extra dramatic the past couple days?
Gloria: Haha. Yes,
I believe we are in a transitional period.
me: Really?!
Gloria: Yes , I
think there are times through the year we have to recalibrate and I think we
are in one right now.
me: Why do you
think that? And is it going to slow down any time soon?
Gloria: Instinctual.
Spring cleaning. And things never slow down, this is life.
me: Got it. You
just gave me a good segue. How do you hang out with grace in the midst of
chaos? For example, do you ever picture yourself hanging out in apocalyptic
scenarios?
Gloria: Hmmm,
grace in chaos. I think that the world, while beautiful, is fairly chaotic and
I like to think that my philosophy behind hanging out is about maintaining
grace over all in general. I am not sure what type of apocalyptic scenario you
are thinking of but of course I think of the world after "the shit hits
the fan" and my place in it. But if it's like the Thunderdome, then I am
not sure how I will pull through that because that certainly seems like a
stressful life but I would figure it out eventually.
me: So what are
some different ways you've pictured yourself in that world after the shit hits
the fan? I know you have this tension between city and country living. Do you
have any "Escape from New York" plans in mind?
Gloria: I moved to
Brooklyn about six months ago and it has thrown me for a loop as far as escape
plans. I used to live in Washington Heights right by the George Washington
Bridge and it gave me some piece of mind to think if NYC went bat shit I could
just walk right out of the city. In Brooklyn I feel a little deeper in the
shit. I guess I like to think that I will be prepared for anything and I think
inherently my interest is drawn by some sort of idea of post-civilization
survival. For example, I took a First Aid class this past winter and I have
begun to work out a lot. Part of the working out is I want to look extra fly
but definitely part of it is that I want to be ready for anything. I had a
friend recently say the same thing to me about their own motivation for working
out and in that moment I just wondered if other people have similar motivation
for working out or are my friend and I just kinda nuts? But it is not something
people talk about often—how ready are you for difficult situations where your
actual physical safety may be at risk.
me: It's true.
There's kind of a stigma, I think, to being prepared for the worst. Like you're
paranoid or something. Do you have a disaster kit?
Gloria: I don't!!
I am just up to a First Aid kit and a "go bag". In actuality I wish I
had a better supply of back-up food and water. There is a stigma—or people
think it is a joke, but for those of us who have been through natural disasters
you know that shit is very real. But perhaps also people are uncomfortable with
their own mortality and just laugh to brush off the idea that they should be
ready for anything. Because reality is that your life can change in a minute.
me: So you've
lived through a natural disaster. Was that in Florida?
Gloria: Yes. I was
living in Pensacola, Florida and we got hit with a Category 5 hurricane.
me: Can you talk
about that a little bit?
Gloria: Yes, it
was in 2004, the year that several large hurricanes hit Florida and the Gulf
Coast region Hurricane Ivan. Me and my housemates at the time decided to ride
out the storm. You have to understand hurricane culture in Florida and the Gulf
Coast—it is really about brushing it off and riding it out. So we rode it out.
But I think that mentality has changed since that year for Florida and after
Hurricane Katrina.
me: Yeah. So talk
about that culture. People are taking precautions even as they're riding it
out, right? Like stocking up on food and boarding up the windows, etc?
Gloria: Yeah,
there is that. What used to drive me a little nuts about people being prepared
for disasters is that everyone waits until the last minute. So every major
hurricane the local news is just showing images of long lines at stores and
empty store shelves, of people rushing out to get water and flashlights.
Hurricane season is the same time every year, people!
Things like having water and food are just more ways to
make your life comfortable after the storm because the water may not be clean
enough to drink or access to food may be affected depending on the roads, etc.
My parents have about twenty gallons of water and a week’s
worth of food at any given moment. People take some precautions, especially
boarding up windows, etc., but really, folks at risk are those who live on the
coast or near large bodies of water—the risk is drowning. I think people think
about the winds, but one thing that blew my mind about my experience in
Pensacola is the damage the water had done. Flooding the whole downtown and
just really damaging infrastructure in a way that the town was recovering from
for years to come.
me: Ok, you
mentioned earlier the psychology behind not being prepared: people not wanting
to confront their mortality. I know you've been kind of on a spiritual quest
lately—is this too embarrassing for me to bring up? Is seeking a spiritual path
part of acknowledging this end we'd rather not think about? Do you feel like,
similar to stocking up on food and water, it makes the inevitable chaos any
easier?
Gloria: Yeah,
let's get deep! People's spiritual beliefs are a complex thing. Certainly
there are people who use their spiritual practices as an
escape from reality. So I think it can be used to escape the idea of one's own
mortality, for example the promise of an eternal life. But I think that if
practiced correctly you would use spirituality to face the reality of being
here and being human. Like being prepared with food and water for a storm—it
doesn't make the experience easier, per se, because seeing your whole town get
torn up and the way the storm affects people's lives is an intense experience.
But it makes the coping with that event easier, like you have something to eat.
So for me, spirituality holds a similar importance, it helps with the coping.
It doesn't justify, negate or change the severity of the situation.
me: Love getting
deep. Ok, I know on your blog you've stressed the importance of adaptability
(Rule #1: Always do what you never would have thought of doing, especially if you have an in). You've also talked about nomadism, which I think
requires being pretty adaptable. You have some nomadic plans coming up in the
next year—do you wanna talk about these and how you're getting ready to adapt?
Gloria: I am
making moves to leave the country because I have not done that since I was five
and it's about damn time. But other than that, I am planning on visiting towns
where I have large groups of friends and visiting for a time. I wanted to spend
part of this year spending real intentional time with long-distance friends and
be part of their day-to-day lives, even if just momentarily—helping them with
whatever projects they have going on. Really, the main thing I am doing to get
ready to adapt, besides saving up money, is letting go of my doubts and fears
about being 33 with a master's degree and taking time for myself to just be a
punk. It is hard to let go of what society says about you when you choose to
live your life the way you want it. But I have followed my gut so far and shit
has been awesome, so fuck it. Being able to have the type of life that requires
adaptability is a gift.
me: True! Ok, last
question: When you finally decide to beef up your disaster kit, are there any
"luxury" items you're going to put in there? Like anything to boost
your morale in the middle of all that shit hitting the fan?
Gloria: Lube. And
some really fly finger nail polish!
