Missed Calls - Episode 05

In the latest episode of Missed Calls, Cori navigates the anxieties of U.S. election week from abroad, sharing her experience of leaning on her late father for comfort and connection. She reflects on welcoming his presence into virtual gatherings that honor ancestors and creating a personal altar, a practice inspired by Bali's rich traditions. Balancing these tender moments, Cori channels her energy into a fitness challenge to help manage her stress, embracing movement as a way to find calm amidst heightened emotions. Join her as she blends reflection, resilience, and a touch of holiday anticipation in a week marked by both anxiety and connection.

Key Takeaways:

• Election Anxiety: Cori candidly shares her election-related stress and apocalyptic thinking, finding solace in sharing her worries with her dad.
• Honoring Ancestors: She integrates her father’s memory into her spiritual practices, joining online communities and creating a personal altar.
• Embracing Movement: Cori commits to a workout challenge, using exercise to manage anxiety and find grounding.
• Balancing Reflection and Celebration: With the election chaos looming, she looks forward to the comfort of holiday traditions, crafting joy even from afar.

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Transcript

[00:00:00] Speaker: Hello there, lovely listeners. Today's episode is a little somber. Listening back, I'm coming off of an anxious couple of days, and I can only foresee more anxiety in the upcoming next few days as well. It is the US election this week, and it's a big one and it's a scary. situation. And during my call with my dad earlier today, I just, I just was flat.

[00:00:30] I just couldn't shake it. And that's why I call him. And I did feel better by the end of it, just to speak out some of my discomfort and everything. But, um, yeah, it's a little bit flat. It's a little bit anxious. It's a little wishy washy. But that's where we're at. We're at a turning point in the political landscape of the United States of America.

[00:00:52] And it's always strange for these big moments to happen when I'm abroad. So it felt really good to be able to tap in and call my [00:01:00] dad today. And. A message with a few friends. There's a lot of loud background sound today. It's just an off day. I'm having an off week, but I'm happy to be here. I'm happy to have called my dad.

[00:01:10] And thank you for listening to episode five of Miss Calls.

[00:01:23] Speaker 2: Hi, it's Dan. I can't come to the phone right now, but if you leave a message, I'll call you right back. Thanks.

[00:01:31] Speaker: Hey, Pop. This week, I tell ya, it is Election week. I am, surprisingly or not surprisingly, full of anxiety and stress. Um, I have such a strong imagination that my anxiety goes straight into catastrophic apocalyptic thinking. And so, I was [00:02:00] yesterday literally, like, flashing through doomsday prepping options.

[00:02:07] I know it'll be okay, but I also know, realistically, there's gonna be some wacky shit for the rest of the year, regardless of what happens. And, um, it's just wild. It's really wild. I, I think I think you would be blown away by the idea that Trump is running for president again. I am, I can't believe it still every single day.

[00:02:35] I can't believe it. It's still such a like, um, onion article, satirical. thing for me. I, I still can't believe it. It's real. It seems fake. But that's about that. That's just what's on the top, top, top, top, top of my chest and mind and stress. [00:03:00] But beyond that, last week you and I had a really good week together.

[00:03:05] Last week I welcomed you into A couple of communities I'm a part of, we had some ancestor, um, honoring and we acknowledged and brought you into the spaces and I think it's really cool that you were able to see what some of my communities look like that I'm a part of, because you know me, I'm a very introverted.

[00:03:37] Borderline reclusive person and online communities are the best way for me to get my social, um, comfortable. And I'm in these two different communities that are really interesting and really safe spaces and are different ways for me to like, level up and continue to grow. [00:04:00] And I'm really, really glad that you were able to join on those calls last week.

[00:04:06] I could literally feel you. Um, it was, it made me cry. I, I, I literally felt you in your presence and I'm so happy that I'm learning how to, I mean, let's be frank, I have welcomed you in and, uh, acknowledge and spend time with you literally every day, but I'm learning new, different ways to be a little bit more intuitive with it, and.

[00:04:37] It feels really good, and I feel really excited that I'm able to show you, um, new things in, in this life, in this world. And it's interesting, and I'm learning a lot. I love learning about where traditions come from, and different cultures way of honoring, um, Their [00:05:00] families, their ancestors, and during, uh, Samhain and Halloween and everything there's, you know, heightened awareness of, you know, sharing space with our ancestors a little bit more.

[00:05:20] I'm really lucky to be in Bali because it's very ceremonial and very, um, incorporative of their ancestors and their beliefs in their everyday practices. And I love that I already had kind of an unintentional altar built, um, in my room of just my own things to honor and acknowledge. And I used to think that that was maybe not a practice for me, but now that I've kind of shifted it and made it a little bit more intentional.

[00:05:54] It's a nice place for me to acknowledge you're there, um, [00:06:00] Maddie's paw print is there, so you and Maddie get to hang out. Um, there's, it's just slowly building as I learn what things I really want to incorporate it. Incorporate into it. Um, and it's funny because Creature has started to cuddle up and sleep next to it.

[00:06:21] Which is very sweet. And I think she likes hanging out with you and spending time with you. Um, I know I do. But, yeah, it's been, it's been weird. It's been like a bit of a Interesting time. I guess I'm, I'm excited for the next week or so to kind of flesh out and move forward through the whole election process and everything because everything is just so heightened and, and intense during these times.

[00:06:56] And I, Love [00:07:00] the holidays and I'm excited to kind of transition into the festive Christmas season, which I always start kind of like mid November. Um, so I'll dust off my little mini Christmas tree soon and put out my cute little decorations of the ones that I was able to bring with me here or that I've accumulated over the last year.

[00:07:27] It's sweet. It feels good that I've got a little storage box of Christmas decorations. It makes me feel really good that I can bring them out each year and, and have that ambience, even if I am in the tropics and it's just entering now kind of into the rainy season. So there's some really, really nice days and it is hot still, obviously, but we also are having some pretty heavy rains and it makes for cozy vibes.

[00:07:57] It's like my own. type of fall vibes, even [00:08:00] though I'm now entering the summer seasons here. But yeah, I had a, I had an interesting week last week. It's the start of a new one and I'm kind of looking forward to allowing, I have more anxious anxiety feelings than I've had in a really long time. And it's interesting to kind of observe them.

[00:08:29] And so I'm going to be really, I'm going to be really, I'm going to give myself a lot of grace this week. I'm going to be really, um, Patient with myself and I'm going to try to front load my week with all of my work and responsibilities so that I can allow days to feel different and go slow and, um, balance it out a little bit more.

[00:08:58] And I started [00:09:00] a challenge at my, um, workout studio where, uh, it's a 30 day challenge, but really I'm just going to challenge myself for the rest of the year to go to classes five days a week. I'm realizing that. It is such a powerful outlet for me. And like I was saying earlier with social, um, filling my social needs, going to classes and saying hi to my teacher and my peers that are in the classes every day are, uh, my social dose for the day.

[00:09:31] Then I go home and I'm alone Um, and moving my body and just being able to feel my heartbeat, uh, and heart rate rise. Because I'm moving my body instead of, because I'm having fight or [00:10:00] flight, fight or flight feelings out of anxiety. Um, feels good to just move and feel my body and feel my muscles and, Keep moving and and challenging myself.

[00:10:15] So well, that's kind of my update for the week. I Yeah, I Got to hear a lot of

[00:10:32] no, that's just my update for this for the week. I love you. I miss you I'm really glad That I was able to have you with me extra last week 

[00:10:46] Speaker 3: and 

[00:10:47] Speaker: I'm gonna continue carrying you with me through this weird time and uh, send us, send us good vibes and energy towards [00:11:00] this political shift. I love you and I miss you.

[00:11:08] Thank you again, lovely listeners out there. This project, I think I say it every single week, regardless of if it's a hay pops or a missed calls, but this project has been a game changer for me. It is a lifeline to my dad, a connection with my dad. Not only do I get to have these. calls and conversations with him, but every Monday I get to sit down with a microphone and headphones and just feel an immediate connection with him.

[00:11:37] And for those that are out there listening, I'm actually kind of blown away by how many people are out there listening. I really appreciate you holding space for me through this processing and through my novice experience as my own podcaster. But, um, it's really fun. It's, uh, a cool and creative learning experience for me, [00:12:00] a creative outlet for me.

[00:12:02] And it makes me feel Like I get a clock in with my dad every week. So stay tuned for next week. It'll be Hey Pops, Episode six. I'm not sure how many more I will do for the rest of this year, but we'll touch on it, I guess, next week, maybe next week. And the following week will be the last two episodes of this season, and then we'll pick it back up in 2025.

[00:12:27] We'll see how it goes. I am doing my best to navigate everything as it comes. Make sure I don't burn myself out after a burning, burning couple of years. So we'll see, but I'm definitely here next week for a Hey Pops episode. So thank you for listening. Come back for more and learn something. And I love [00:13:00] you.