Perpetual Brew 🌀 Week 3
Total Cups Served ...... 1247
High Temperature ...... 88°F
Low Temperature ....... 43°F
Days with Rainfall ....... 4
One third of April remains. Only 10 more days of free tea in Maria Hernandez Park. My thoughts are fuzzy, my back is tight, my soul is nourished. Week 3 brought a summer heat wave, the grand unfurling of cherry blossoms, a Ruby-crowned kinglet, and so much more!
Below, we have a few more SPECIAL GUEST contributions from podcast prodigy Mae Nagusky and Aimee (aka Princess Mishmish). Plus, some words from yours truly about our "magic symbol machine".
On April 30, the final day of Perpetual Brew, we'll be serving free tea in the park from sunrise to sunset (6am-8pm). We'll have a closing ritual at 7:30pm. Hope to see you there <3
🪁 Family Surprise!
Last week, Miles and I decided to switch roles: I would serve the tea, he would record the podcast. I was psyched. Let’s mix it up and see how one another’s shoes feel.
Going into the day, I wrote down a few tips for Miles: be aware of the levels, follow your curiosity, always triple check you’re recording. And I jotted down a few tips for myself, too: be open, be loving, be joyful and full.
Once I got to the park, Miles and I did our usual back-and-forth and I prepared him emotionally and logistically for a day of podcasting.
As the clock struck noon, my little sister jumped out and yelled “Could I get some free tea?!” I was shocked. No way. I shouted “Zolaaaaaaaaa!” and looked around to see a gaggle of family members have joined my 11-year-old sister in coming to Maria Hernandez Park all the way from Ohio.
They’ve been following along with the podcast but never would I imagine them flying all the way to New York just to experience it for themselves. And so with that, The Tea Stand opened.
My family set up on the mat, taking it all in. The strangers, the randomness of the park, Miles walking around looking like a lunatic on a mission.
A person named Joe sat down on the mat and chatted with my stepmom, Kelly, for two hours. Once Joe left, Kelly exclaimed, “I just met Joe today and I’m sad to say goodbye!” Later, a chill guy with a guitar sat next to her and riffed spontaneous musings on life and the park. The regulars came by, too. My dad was especially excited to meet Jose (the star of the pod). They sat beside the mat, took in the sun, and chatted like buddies. My dad also spent a chunk of the day trying to fly a kite and holding on once it was finally more than a foot away from him.
My little sister donated her two dollar bill from her colorful wallet and asked for it back (as well as more money out of the tip jar) multiple times throughout the day. Each time, with a new reason why. She followed around Miles and David and my friends Sam, Olivia and Kate. My family stayed for the full six hours. It was awesome to see them in a totally new environment.
There are no spaces like The Tea Stand in Cleveland, Ohio. No consistent spots to interact with strangers in the most low pressure way possible. The surprised faces who come up to the stand, waiting for a catch, I’m sure feel the same. I did a post-game interview with my dad and Kelly. I asked them what they were left with. With cold arms and a warm heart, they said “Mmmm, I can’t exactly articulate it. But, it’s about so much more than tea. And, just that we’re proud of you. And Miles, too.”
🌧️ Rainy Day at The Tea Stand
You don't have a right to your consequences, you have a right to your actions. From the Bhagavad Gita (via Adin).
When I served tea on Sunday the 19th, I wished for it to be a quiet day, and it was. It rained basically all day.
I tried to rationalise the rain as the give and take of life, but upon reflection I see it as a hill; where at some points you need some extra pushes, and at others you can just fly down. The Tea Stand to me feels like part of a larger cycle of pushing each other up the hill. It is being served a hot drink when your hands are numb, listening to what is on each other's consciousness, offering words of support, having a laugh, feeling safe to be vulnerable and fumbling around or simply saying hello.
On my hill on a rainy day outside, the birds pushed me up, and the people that stuck around for conversations (shout out <3) and Miles' understanding when I went home to get more clothes. I was reminded to watch the sky change colours, to watch the leaves in the trees, and all the small things that make the day feel so full.
A couple more things I learned that I would like to share:
- the tea stand is a good reminder of putting ego away, not what you want to do, but what you can do for others
- taking a breath before reacting to a tricky situation
^ Listen to the episode about this day!
~ Aimee
🔣 Magic Symbol Machine
A couple months before Perpetual Brew, I read the Dictionary of Symbols by Carl G. Luingman and was compelled by both the symbols themselves and the system the author designed to categorize them.
A vision crystallized quickly: we shall create set of symbols, each representing an event that may or not take place on a given day of Perpetual Brew (e.g. seeing a hawk, a rain droplet falling), and use this as a way to archive the month.
So, we did exactly this – we (Mateo & myself) created a list of twelve symbols, each one representing a different event, and Mateo illustrated all of them by hand. We then printed out punch cards – one for each day of April – as a way to physically track which events took place on which days.
By defining a set of events to track throughout the month, we are deciding what we want to pay attention to, what is important to us, and what patterns we are curious to explore.
The impact has been direct & manifold – the first hawk sighting on April 10 brought absurdly high levels of joy, whether the "interconnectedness of all things was revealed" (i.o.a.t.r.) sparked conversations about the universe and belief, and we've learned that a stranger has sat on the mat every single day up until today!
The final measure was to introduce a way for visitors to interact with the symbols and answer questions about which events have taken place when. To do so, we copied a mechanical sorting method from Dictionary of Symbols and, starting a few days ago, introduced the Magic Symbol Machine to our setup!
The Magic Symbol Machine lives on the mat next to the stand and has instructions for self-guided use. It's the closest thing we have to Tea Stand bingo, which now that I think about, maybe we ought to make...
Check it out next time you get some free tea!
Otherwise...
You know the deal – we're in Maria Hernandez Park (NW corner) every single day of April from 12-6pm, rain or shine. You can see who is serving tea when on the Perpetual Brew webpage here.
Much love to Andrea, Ziggy, Mae, and Aimee for serving tea this past week. Thanks to Anqi & Kelly for signing up as members.
And one more reminder to check out the podcast here! It's the best way to be a part of Perpetual Brew without being in the park with us.
Hope to share tea with you soon.
Perpetually yours,
Miles
Member discussion