Editor's Letter: DISTANCE

Happy Galentine's Day, Thingamabobs!

It's Friday the 13th! I honestly can't think of a better way to start off the month. Galentine's Day and Friday the 13th are two very special holidays, and we're celebrating by launching our spankin' new theme, DISTANCE.

PaCho (a.k.a. our managing ed and controller of the Universe) and I were trying to think of a good random word to turn into a theme as we were wrapping up our staff Skype meeting.  Most of the brilliant ideas are exhausted in the first hour or so of said meetings, and everyone gets all sabaw after that. Distance came up because we knew that it'd be Valentine's day, and we wanted to be funny.

Later on, we decided that it couldn't be more appropriate. The way PaCho put it when we were discussing the theme really hit the spot, so I just have to share it with all of you:

I've always been interested in the distances between people -- not necessarily in a "we just fell apart" or "we're not as close as we used to be" way. I can't quite describe it in my own way when U2 (surprise, surprise) does a better job at it:  

"Now the wolves are every passing stranger, every face we cannot know -- if only a heart could be as white as snow." 

I think about how we, as persons, fit into a world of people, a majority of whom we will never truly know. I think a lot about how "I" easily becomes "we" despite all its reckless inclusiveness and inherent exclusiveness; how we're chasing individuality in a sea of billions of individuals. You know that feel? I think they're ideas that manifest themselves in small and big ways alike, as seen in a lot of the ideas we've already gotten so far.

More on that, in addition to stuff on choosing to stay away, six degrees of separation, communism and capitalism, space time relativity, and traveling this month (and next), so check back every weekend!  

Awkward hugs (and kisses this time, because GALENTINE'S)(ok fine, VALENTINE'S),

Gaby

P.S.

We're distributing physical copies of a Valentine's zine we made for FEELS @ Satchmi later at 6pm. The PDF is going up Sunday night, but wouldn't you prefer tangibility? Drop by for a night of coffee, music, and #hugot! The event is at Satchmi, SM Megamall Mega Fashion Hall.

P.P.S.
We still want to hear what you think! Send your virtual g/valentine's candy (preferably sour gummy worms) to thethingonline@gmail.com, or on Twitter and Facebook.