5SR - April 18, 2024
Hitha on the Olympics' kickoff, self-care, and stopping fentanyl deaths
A quick refresher - I’m Hitha Palepu, the founder of #5SmartReads. If you’d like to connect with me elsewhere, I’m most active on Instagram and write a weekly newsletter about smart, random things (check out the most recent issue).
Torch and sandals: What to know about the flame-lighting ceremony in Greece for the Paris Olympics (Associated Press)
For nearly 100 years, priestesses (well, actors) gather in front of temple ruins in Olympia to light the runner’s torch that will make its way to Athens for the eventual handover to Paris.
It’s pomp. It’s circumstance. And while it’s completely unnecessary, I think it’s a nice way to connect the ancient Olympics to the present day’s games.
This is a fun, light read that kicked off Olympics excitement for me.
Sydney Leroux Brings New Meaning To The Phrase “Soccer Mom” (Romper)
Motherhood has been my personal training ground in becoming an executive and an author. For Sydney Leroux, it taught her what she shouldn’t do as an professional athlete - rushing to return to work.
And with the NWSL’s new paid parental leave policy, players don’t have to rush back 90 days post-birth, the way Leroux did not that long ago.
“Now that more people are having kids in the NWSL, I have a lot of people come to me and ask me about it,” she said. “And it’s really nice to be able to help other women in the league.” They always ask the same questions: What’s it like coming back, and how long does it take? “I think it’s important to let them know that it takes time and not to rush into anything,” she said. In other words, she tells them to do the opposite of what she did.
The NWSL season has just kicked off - here’s how to stream every game.
If you haven’t done so today, take a few deep breaths, drink some water, and make yourself something to eat if you’re feeling hungry.
Who the U.S. economic safety net leaves behind (Axios)
It’s working-age adults who aren’t raising children. And they make up 50% of those living in deep poverty (50% below the poverty line) and 70% of the homeless population in the country.
To make things worse, there’s no public program to help this specific group, and this country’s low minimum wage and lack of public programs are insufficient to help this group out of poverty - even though they’re working, and mostly working full time.
The false narrative of rugged individualism and bootstrapping your way to better opportunities is one we need to eliminate if we’re going to build a society where everyone can truly thrive. And given these numbers, we have a lot of work to do.
Pooja does a brilliant job of showing what real self-care is, and unpacking the faux self-care we’re so easily tricked by. I needed this particular excerpt of her book to remind myself of what self-care is and to protect it.
To Stop Fentanyl Deaths in Philadelphia, Knocking on Doors and Handing Out Overdose Kits (KFF News)
Philadelphia’s public-health-by-canvassing strategy is one of the most effective and humane approaches I’ve seen, and is largely a volunteer and community effort.
Off-duty nurses and PAs were actively canvassing during the pandemic, offering tests and vaccine information to help care for the community. Local leaders are taking the same approach to address fentanyl overdoses in the community, in the neighborhoods that need the most help.
For as much as technology has changed how we live, there really is no replacement for human connection and a conversation when you feel safe to open up. If we’re going to fix the biggest problems facing our country, it’s going to take us to get off our devices and get talking to each other.