image of morning on the Lost Coast, Humboldt County, CA
Notes to the Lost (work in progress)
I once bought a zine titled How to Deal With the Big F#@&ing Sad. I remember the cover was orange, and at times, it was helpful. But I lost it.
Sadness is an ongoing theme for me—along with longing and loss. These feelings return, again and again. I know that, so I try to be ready. One of my tools is connection.
Lately, I’ve become curious about places with “Lost” in their names. Someone chose to name them—Lost Coast, Lost Nation, Lost Hill, Lost Creek... There’s probably a story in these.
In her book, The Field Guide to Getting Lost, the brilliant writer and activist Rebecca Solnit wrote, “Lost really has two disparate meanings. Losing things is about the familiar falling away, getting lost is about the unfamiliar appearing.” Her hopeful framing resonates with me. When lost, where can we locate hope?
To me, hope means the possibility of change for the better—change requires a different action, so I decided to create an act. Every day, I sent a postcard to one of these Lost places. I didn’t know if any would arrive; I was pretty sure they would not. But I also hope that some might return.
This ritual has brought me action and connection during a time when I felt unsecured. It’s a way of moving forward— finding something in the losing.
Images coming soon