SIX HOT PICKS
SIX HOT PICKS FROM JUSTIN HOENKE
1 “BULLSHIT JOBS” BY DAVID GRAEBER
Recently I’ve been thinking a lot about how we work and why we do the things we do at work. I come from a blue collar family. My Dad’s an optician and his work is seeing a pair of glasses being made from the beginning right until it is sized and placed onto someone’s face. My work in libraries has always been completely different than his work, it’s hard to see the end product of my work in libraries. I mostly just try my best and learn from the good and the bad, whereas if my Dad makes a bad pair of glasses the person wearing them can’t see. So Bullshit Jobs by David Graeber is a book that has helped me understand how there are so many different kinds of jobs out there and that I just have to find the value in what I do inside of myself.
2 CATERPILLARS TURNING INTO BUTTERFLIES
Somehow, my family and I got really lucky and our home in Ngaio, Wellington, came with an amazing garden that was full of caterpillars who, in December, went into their chrysalis and recently transformed into some beautiful butterflies. It was so exciting to watch every step of the way. The caterpillars munched on the plants in the garden and then one day their chrysalis were hanging there. They stayed there for a month and then one day we had butterflies. What an amazing journey. If reincarnation is real that might be the way to go for me.
3 PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
Why in the world do people own their own car when there is public transportation? Now that I’m in a place where there are buses and trains all over, I find myself really wondering why we all just don’t give up cars and invest more in building even better public transportation. I find the trains around Wellington to not only be extremely reliant and well run but also one of the most meditative things that I do in my day. Sitting back on the train on the way to work and then back home I find myself getting just the right amount of time I need to settle into that day or night in a peaceful and meditative way.
4 CORNERSHOP
Music has always been one of my best friends. Right now I am most excited about the band Cornershop. In March 2020 they’ll be releasing their latest album “England is a Garden”. I am very excited about this album. To get ready, I walk around Wellington listening to their 2002 album “Handcream for a Generation”. I have a bit of a bop in my step and I hope it spreads all around town.
5 CURRY
One thing I have noticed is that curry is everywhere in Wellington. It doesn’t take much time to walk around the city and find some restaurant that serves curry. This makes me happy. When
I was living in Pennsylvania if we wanted to eat out we had to choose between fast food, gas stations, or some restaurant that we knew would lead to sadness and a stomach ache. That’s not the case in Wellington, and especially so when it comes to curry. I don’t think there’s a food that satisfies me more than a good vegetarian curry. I’m full, I feel good, and I have energy after I have a good curry.
6 AOTEOROA
This place is the home that my family and I have been seeking for so many years. The stunning scenery at every turn is amazing. The endless lists of things to do and adventures to seek are always there. But, what really blows me away are the people and the general way of life in Aoteoroa. Y’all are doing it right. You work hard but then you also relax hard. And you do your very best to respect how everyone else chooses to live their life. In America my family and I felt this invisible weight pushing us down every minute. We don’t feel that here. We feel a freedom we’ve never felt before. We feel a kindness in the air over here in Aoteoroa. Thank you for letting us be part of this amazing place.