Someone asked me what I think about and this was my answer:
(A thread)

I think about:
Myself and how to be better.
How to not become complacent.
The world and how I can make it better.
How people think.
How I think I think differently from others.

How community is important and why we build walls.
Why people don’t look after themselves.
Cohesion.

What are the most important things in a relationship and what are the things to compromise on.
The nature of “work”.
Why coffee tastes better luke-warm.

The comforts and complications of having a close-knit family.
Processing grief and loss.
Feminism vs biological differences.
Excitement vs stability.

Lots of sciencey things

(Just a small selection)

The business of Shebeens

How to build better schools:
- in terms of space. How does the architecture of schools influence the learning that happens there
- training teachers in new tech
- admitting that tech won’t solve anything unless teachers can use it properly

How parents these days can be better at parenting, especially when coming from broken homes (which is a lot more prevalent these days). How to model good behaviors/practices/values to our kids, especially when we might have become a bit lazy about it all.

How humans are so trusting of others and what happens when that trust is broken.

How middle/upper class people live very individually, especially in SA. We have large properties surrounded by walls. We isolate ourselves. What can we do to encourage living together in communities? Can we share services?

How do we live collaboratively with neighbours? Can we respect privacy but reduce loneliness at the same time? Can we work towards sharing skills, resources (cars, swimming pools) meals, services (laundry)...

If there is such thing as "the 100-day itch"

Chemistry.

(the tzz tzz between people)
(the bonding of chemicals)

Why people are so honest and truthful about everything at the beginning of a relationship, and then somehow that truth-serum wears off a bit.
Are we trying to protect the other person? Protect ourselves? Talked about everything already?

How reflection of (far) past incidents can help us to understand other peoples motives.... and "was I too naive/immature/ungrown to understand their motives back then?" And "why"

How to become good at creative things (art, painting, making things) later on in life. And especially when one is already successful at other things. It’s difficult to “slog” at things again. But very very necessary.

How we carry on in the face of adversity. When does survival become growth?

Ideas vs execution.

Being self-sufficient and self-aware enough so that the next relationship I get into can be one where I go for love and happiness and challenge and growth (instead of “security”)

Making the time, space and effort to do deliberate personal development. Tackling the big issues of our past and why we behave the way we do.

How much of life happens to you vs how you happen to life.
What is in our control vs what is beyond our control.

Today I want to go buy a farm, build some green, off-grid, self sufficient houses, and get my parents, kiddo and besties to live there with me. With our own veggies, animals and wide open spaces.

Content is created.
Facts are discovered.

What is knowledge and is it created or discovered?

I’ve very consciously decided to lean into small moments of joy. Practicing deliberate gratefulness for the small things has made an extraordinary difference to my life. Today: sunshine and a very beautiful winter butterfly.

My daughter has started making “documentaries” about anything and everything. Here’s one about the butterfly in the garden. This also gives me joy

The perks and downfalls of being incredibly resourceful and self sufficient. And how the self sufficiency impacts on close relationships.

The architecture and art of making a comfortable, practical, beautiful and meaningful living space. This is important, now more than ever.
What is optimal warmth? Optimal space and place? Optimal layout? Where do i spend each moment, in what space, and how can I make it joyful?

The stories we tell about things that happened in the past, and their comparison to what actually happened. Do we romanticise the past? Do we deny or degrade the past? What makes someone turn an experience to more positive or more negative than what it really was?