THERE

BY WALLACE CALEB BATES

After a long day of traveling, I do not have much capacity to write. But soon, I will, and I know my words will meet me there. 

POPULAR

NAP

 BY WALLACE CALEB BATES You know something about being an adult? Productivity is subjective. Take a nap. Two hours in my calendar this evening were devoted to just that: napping. That time was not a break from responsibility; it was preparation for it. The kind of work we do takes time, but it also requires clarity, presence, and energy. So I rested. I closed my eyes. I let the noise settle. Rest is not laziness. It is not avoidance. It is part of the process. The body needs fuel, the mind needs quiet, and the spirit needs space. I have to be awake enough to think clearly. So take it from me: rest via naps, take a walk, or do whatever you need to be ready to return to the busyness. You are not a machine. You are a person. And people need rest.
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ICE CREAM

 BY WALLACE CALEB BATES Ice cream is not the healthiest choice. It is not part of any diet plan or productivity hack. But every so often, it is precisely what I need. My order: a Royal Reese’s Brownie Blizzard from Dairy Queen with extra peanut butter. It is rich, heavy, and entirely over the top. It is also joyful, reminding me I am allowed to enjoy something simply because I love it. In a world that constantly encourages discipline, control, and self-denial, there is quiet power in choosing to indulge. Life is not meant to be measured only in calories or checklists. It is also meant to be tasted. Let the dessert be a reminder: not everything that brings joy needs to be justified.
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KEKE

 BY WALLACE CALEB BATES I have been listening to  Master of Me  by Keke Palmer on audiobook.  Even though we could not be more different demographically, "the gag is," many parts of her story echo pieces of mine.  Her reflections on identity, resilience, and the lifelong journey of becoming speak to something in me. There is beauty in that shared humanity, in finding common ground across race, place, and background. 
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