This site went silent for a couple weeks, but for a particular reason. I had Covid-19. While I took some time to recover, I set aside many projects, and Pulp Culture Museum was one of them.
Generally, I work under the assumption that people fetishize workaholism. Do stuff constantly, without stopping. Extreme productivity as a goal. If we haven’t crammed every second of our waking hours with completing as many tasks as possible, and those tasks that are judged as meaningful by our peers, then we have failed. Or something like that. I hate this perspective.
When I was sick I kept thinking about all the stuff I wanted to be getting done but wasn’t doing. It made me feel worse, so I decided I needed to stop everything. I’d be better off just letting myself be ill, letting the virus run its course, and stepping away from the hustle and bustle for a bit.
I don’t regret that choice at all. I planned no posts for a couple of weeks and gave myself a break. It was a little hard because I really enjoy writing. That’s actually a big part of why I set this site up in the first place; it’s an avenue to let out some of my creative impulses that aren’t fiction. However, I resent being bothered that I wasn’t getting anything done. When someone is sick, this is the kind of thought that shouldn’t be on their mind at all. I’m probably repeating myself in this short post, but it’s a sentiment that I believe bears repeating.
Our work culture, and within society at large, has a sickness of its own. People need to be able to step away from their busy lives from time to time. There is no rational reason why people should have to feel guilt or shame if they need a break, as I did when I had Covid. Yet, somehow we do. It’s a problem, but one I don’t mind confronting. I hope others will stand with me.
Pulp Culture Museum 
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