STEEPED BY SAMIA #17 | 02.23.23
“What if we joined our wildernesses together?”
Recently, I rewatched Fruits Basket (2019 ver.), and I was blown away by the heart-wrenching coming-of-age tidbits. In Fruits Basket, there are thirteen characters inhabited by the spirits of Chinese Zodiac animals and a god-like character at the center of them all, named Akito.
They have so many different dynamics and connections within them — lovers, enemies, siblings, friends, classmates — and Fruits Basket does such a wonderful job building nuance and context between them.
The main character, Tohru, goes to visit Kazuma, the guardian of Kyo (who embodies the Cat spirit), to find out more about this clandestine bunch. Kazuma remarks:
“There is a world that exists between Akito and the Zodiac members that is unfathomable and impenetrable to others.
A world for only them.”
Episode 11 of Fruits Basket: 2nd Season (2020)
I started thinking about the little world we inhabit.
— Our friends, families, schools, workplaces, clubs / orgs we’re part of.
But when we delve deeper, there are more circumstantial, ephemeral micro-worlds. They’re filled with crisp memories, juicy secrets, silent betrayals, unexplainable happenings, delirious nights, and belly-ache laughs.
You know,
- The two friends you went on a memorable trip with, but you don’t really catch up with them anymore.
- The camp counselors you spent 24/7 with at a blurry-eyed summer camp.
- The hallmates you lived with during your first year of college, taking baby steps together but slowly growing apart.
- The charismatic middle school friend who was a vampire and the few trusted people who knew their secret.
- The like-minded people you met on Clubhouse, braving through misogyny & bigotry together in discussion rooms.
- The strangers turned allies during a stressful train ride.
Movies like The Breakfast Club (1985) and Lemonade Mouth (2011) come to mind, lol.
Whether these moments turn out to be good or bad, that particular circumstance with that particular cast of people won’t ever happen the same way again. It’s bittersweet, comforting.
In Ross Gay’s essay collection The Book of Delights,
He mentions what his student Bethany said when describing her pedagogical aspirations as a teacher and wishes for her future classroom:
“‘What if we joined our wildernesses together?’
Sit with that for a moment. That the body, the life, might carry a wilderness, an unexplored territory, and that yours and mine might somewhere, somehow, meet. Might, even, join.”
“Joy is Such a Human Madness” in The Book of Delights by Ross Gay
I swooned when I read this.
Isn’t there something beautiful about being fully present and feeling emotions uninhibitedly in our little worlds?
I’m reminded of the many lives we have lived and the lives we have yet to live. Worlds are waiting to be born. —S.A.
Steep On This:
- A book: Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
- A song: Feet Don’t Fail Me Now by Joy Crookes
- A TV show: Astrological Guide for Broken Hearts (Netflix)
- A newsletter: warmly, renuka by Renuka
- A podcast: Down to Brown by Lahari Rao
- A tea: Lupicia Hawaii Lanikai Tea —notes of peach, orange, mango
Catch Up:
01.26.23 | On losing & breaking things
STEEPED BY SAMIA #16: ‘My baby photos were lost in Solvang’ & other vignettes on objects well-loved.
About This Blog:
Steeped by Samia is a space where I can simmer on thoughts & curiosities in the scope of digital culture, creativity, life, & more. Far too often, my writing ideas fizzle out in energy; I never get to see them to their full potential. While building my rhythm with writing, I want to share these ideas with you.
Stay Up-To-Date on my blog by clicking the ‘follow’ button at the bottom of the page, and you will receive an email every time I post. I aim to post a new installment at least once or twice a month. Thank you for supporting my storytelling!🧡
Steeped by Samia 
1 Comment