Spokie

macrolit:

Giveaway Contest: Thanks to the generosity of @harperperennial, we’re giving away all eight of the brand new, limited edition 2017-18 Harper Perennial Olive Editions! Won’t these look lovely on your shelf? :D

To win these books, you must: 1) be following macrolit on Tumblr (yes, we will check. :P), and 2) reblog this post. We will randomly choose a winner on November 18, at which time we’ll start a new giveaway. And yes, Harper Perennial has agreed to make this an International giveaway! Easy, right? Good luck!

(via peep-toe-shoes)

letsmeetinourdreams:

“Some years ago, I was stuck on a crosstown bus in New York City during rush hour. Traffic was barely moving. The bus was filled with cold, tired people who were deeply irritated—with one another; with the rainy, sleety weather; with the world itself. Two men barked at each other about a shove that might or might not have been intentional. A pregnant woman got on, and nobody offered her a seat. Rage was in the air; no mercy would be found here.

But as the bus approached Seventh Avenue, the driver got on the intercom. “Folks,” he said, “I know you’ve had a rough day and you’re frustrated. I can’t do anything about the weather or traffic, but here’s what I can do. As each one of you gets off the bus, I will reach out my hand to you. As you walk by, drop your troubles into the palm of my hand, okay? Don’t take your problems home to your families tonight—just leave ‘em with me. My route goes right by the Hudson River, and when I drive by there later, I’ll open the window and throw your troubles in the water. Sound good?”

It was as if a spell had lifted. Everyone burst out laughing. Faces gleamed with surprised delight. People who’d been pretending for the past hour not to notice each other’s existence were suddenly grinning at each other like, is this guy serious?

Oh, he was serious.

At the next stop—just as promised—the driver reached out his hand, palm up, and waited. One by one, all the exiting commuters placed their hand just above his and mimed the gesture of dropping something into his palm. Some people laughed as they did this, some teared up—but everyone did it. The driver repeated the same lovely ritual at the next stop, too. And the next. All the way to the river.

We live in a hard world, my friends. Sometimes it’s extra difficult to be a human being. Sometimes you have a bad day. Sometimes you have a bad day that lasts for several years. You struggle and fail. You lose jobs, money, friends, faith, and love. You witness horrible events unfolding in the news, and you become fearful and withdrawn. There are times when everything seems cloaked in darkness. You long for the light but don’t know where to find it.

But what if you are the light? What if you’re the very agent of illumination that a dark situation begs for?

That’s what this bus driver taught me—that anyone can be the light, at any moment. This guy wasn’t some big power player. He wasn’t a spiritual leader. He wasn’t some media-savvy “influencer.” He was a bus driver—one of society’s most invisible workers. But he possessed real power, and he used it beautifully for our benefit.

When life feels especially grim, or when I feel particularly powerless in the face of the world’s troubles, I think of this man and ask myself, What can I do, right now, to be the light? Of course, I can’t personally end all wars, or solve global warming, or transform vexing people into entirely different creatures. I definitely can’t control traffic. But I do have some influence on everyone I brush up against, even if we never speak or learn each other’s name. How we behave matters because within human society everything is contagious—sadness and anger, yes, but also patience and generosity. Which means we all have more influence than we realize.

No matter who you are, or where you are, or how mundane or tough your situation may seem, I believe you can illuminate your world. In fact, I believe this is the only way the world will ever be illuminated—one bright act of grace at a time, all the way to the river.“

–Elizabeth Gilbert

(via genderihardlyknowher)

landscape-photo-graphy:

Inokashira Park Lake in Tokyo Becomes A River Of Pink Cherry Blossoms

The start of spring welcomes one of the most beautiful sites in Tokyo - Inokashira Park  Lake becomes flooded with delicate pink cherry blossoms which blooms as a lush blanket of flowers beside the lake’s edges. Photographer Danilo Dungo captures the rare event which draws in countless tourists who watch the spectacle of abundant cherry blossoms falling into the lake with the each slight breeze and gust of wind. The photographer has documented the cherry blossoms from a variety of angles, some of the best being taken from an aerial view. The images featured were taken over a period of two years by Dungo and more can be viewed at NatGeo Your Shot page.

(via tulipnight)

(Source: tastefullyoffensive, via perfectly-pudge)

ahahaha and how you *magcially* end up with disney on ice tickets #IKnewThisWasYouBeforeIevenSawTheNameInTheCorner

(Source: lyxkryss, via lostboycolours)

tinyhousedarling:

elena2k15:

arupakappa:

猫の方が強い。#シーズー #shihtzu #cat

marianotbh

What a dick! 

(Source: vine.co, via i-am-america-deactivated2016121)

ciggars:

modalitout:

notanothersonglyric:

ruinedxfate:

ruinedxfate:

ham-safar:

Rayhaneh Jabbari is sentenced to hang for killing her rapist in self defense in Iran. She is now 26 years old and has been in Tehran’s dreaded Evin prison since 2007. The petition for her release can be found here: http://bit.ly/1h7EP4D

UNBELIEVABLE

EVERYBODY SIGN THIS PETITION

It needs 100,000, and only has 8,000 as it stands. 

SIGNAL BOOST THE FUCK OUT OF THIS GUYS

OMYGOD LETS HELP EACH OTHER OUT GUYS

(via disgusted)

(Source: lenalightowl)

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(Source: mouselet, via alli-missh)