Twitch

It was Sunday afternoon and I found myself dancing in my kitchen. Not just swaying or bobbing my head to the beat. Full-on dancing in the kitchen with twists and head bangs and hops. Silly, terrible dancing. The kind of dancing that you did in your room when you were twelve and no one was watching.

I was making Red Beans & Rice for the first time, listening to Bowie's "Starman," and realized how good it all felt together. In that moment, being in my body and fully in the present and chopping vegetables felt amazing. Completely sober, I released myself to the groove. The meal brought me warm memories throughout the next week as well as nourishment. I realized this was my new ritual.

The idea to make a Twitch stream came to me immediately, odd considering my general aversion to social media. But in my mind, Twitch is the "Seinfeld" of social media—a platform about nothing! Streamers play in the background, alongside whatever I'm doing. It's not a 20-second tirade or photoshopped abs or even a cat video. (No shade to cat videos.) It seemed that the silly, exuberant joy I felt dancing and cooking in my kitchen might have a place in that corner of the internet.

My naive hope is that it will make you feel a little less alone and a little less afraid to be yourself. I make no promises, but I will try.