INTRODUCING...

Overheard: “Mercury is in retrograde.” “Your [insert age decade here] are just kind of like that.” “Oh, everyone I know is having an awful time of it — must be something in the air.” You, of course, don’t need Pretty Good Advice to tell you the waters are choppy. Because, um, absolutely everything happening around us feels foundation-less, wobbly, improbably misaligned.

I understand the temptation to look to the stars to try and understand why, for example, influencers are taking hammers to their jaws in the name of looksmaxxing. Or why my hardest working friends (teachers) make no money, despite literally doing *god’s* work. Or why the other evening it took me over two hours on BART to get from San Francisco to the East Bay, but at least there were plastic fare gates (phew! what a relief!) at each and every station. 

We all crave — to some degree — an explanation for our suffering, a sense of camaraderie. To know why and to know we’re not alone gives us firm ground to stand on, something we can solidly plant our clogs-clad feet on. 

But I regret to inform you, we’re not on land. We’re at sea. It's murky, and it’s hard to see clearly down there. But squinting, even just the teeniest bit, we can see little islands of refuge where we can rest and recuperate before diving back in. And I promise, it’s not a mirage.

For some, the ultimate hiding place is their local dive bar where the steady stream of regulars is a balm for the soul. For others, it’s an impossibly good book, one you can’t put down but also don’t want to finish (because, then what?). And may I be so bold to say that receiving a good morsel of advice, along with the knowledge that someone wrestled with your quandary, is in some ways, the ultimate oasis. Something we can latch onto as we wade through these waters. And let’s be clear – they don’t want us to look out for each other. They don’t want us, really in any form, coming together. Why? Because they know that when we band together – in the streets, the club, the workplace – we are a force to be reckoned with. 

I work as a therapist and, I spend all day listening to people share their oldest wounds, their freshest cuts. My work has shown me that despite our uniqueness, our struggles and plights bear some serious resemblance. So, with this column I hope that you see yourself in others, and others see themselves in you. And maybe, just maybe, the wisdom provided by Pretty Good Advice will resonate in some way with your Current dilemma. 

But also trust that despite the ubiquity of our suffering, Pretty Good Advice does not have a one-size-fits-all approach to advice giving. Pretty Good Advice will be expertly crafted; no molds, no paint-by-numbers here. We will take the time to hear (read) what’s plaguing you and get to know you. The best advice is tailored advice — for example, not everyone should send that text, but indeed some of us should. (One caveat to that is, of course, that all of us should Stick it to the Man, but you already knew that.)

So, think of this as a place where you can share your struggle and get some meaningful guidance from a sort of expert in the process. Come here to tell us what’s got you down, who is pissing you off, and how you’re coping (or not) in these freaky-ass, unprecedented times. We’re really, as they say, here for it. And not to be totally cheesy but being here for it, amidst all that is swirling around us, is a teeny tiny yet powerful way to show our camaraderie, our community care, and that we’ve got each other’s back. Because if not us, then who?