The Sounds She Collected is a newsletter about mixtapes and mixed emotions. Thanks for being part of this hive mind for empathetic, hopeful people.
Maybe it’s because this January has felt like a year in itself. Perhaps it’s the inability to plan anything beyond the next 15 minutes. Or, it’s the missing of what was.
As of late, I’ve become mildly addicted to sitcoms. I find comfort in their low-stakes emotional investment, the predictable tropes, the camaraderie that reminds me of times I used to smother my friends in hugs or go on trips or sing karaoke. They’re accessible, relatable, normal. Which is honestly all I’m craving these days.
I’ve been cycling through New Girl, How I Met Your Mother, and Schitt’s Creek, thankful for the belly laughs and Moira’s wigs.
My favorite show of late, which is more of an indie comedy than sitcom, is Friends From College, which sadly only made it to two seasons until it got axed by Netflix. The show follows characters played by Keegan-Michael Key, Fred Savage, Cobie Smulders, and more on journeys through life’s biggest hardships and pockets of joy found in the most unexpected places (like my favorite episode, which takes place on a winery in Long Island).
Each episode’s intro features a different indie song and moves through an overhead shot of a dinner-party table, set with different rotating meals, hands reaching, friends gathering. Perhaps this is what I miss most of all.
I’m thankful for conversations that simulate gatherings, for friends who plan soup groups and David Bowie Tribute parties and virtual movie nights. I’m tired of Zoom, the bleary eyes, and asking mundane questions because none of us are really doing anything new. How can we challenge ourselves to ask bigger questions in the face of the unknown? How can we find joy in the present with all its weirdness?
I don’t know the answers, but I’m trying to figure it out, one step at a time.
Playlist 51, tiny cities, is an eclectic mix perfect for keeping you company throughout this roller coaster ride we’re on.
Here for your Netflix recs,
Sarah
Send this letter to a friend who reminds you of Jess or Nick from New Girl.
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