Dear Cinnamon: Be Brave Like Bueller

Dear Cinnamon is a new monthly column based on the idea that all of life's questions can be answered by art, because, after all, art is the spice of life. To submit your own anonymous questions, fill out this form

Dear Cinnamon,

I’m trying to savor the summer vibes but a part of me just wants it to be over so I can hibernate again. How do I get those summer feelings back?

Summer is a lot, especially for an introvert. There are festivals, backyard BBQs, block parties, and outdoor café eating, all with the expectation to socialize while doing so. There is very little time to recharge and savor the moment. I got you, though. You can win the still-enjoying-summer prize and tell everyone you invited there to shush at one of the three movies playing at the Millennium Park Summer Film Series. From American Fiction to Wonka, and everyone’s Chicago favorite Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, August has you covered to reinvigorate those summer-loving feelings.

Illustration by Mat Huftalen.

Dear Cinnamon,

As 2024 advances and the Presidential election approaches, I am faced with a level of anxiety that drowns me. How can I move forward, and face each day with excitement when the future feels bleak?

You have two choices and either one is totally okay. Option one is blinders, earplugs, and never watching TV or talking to anyone. This option lacks the excitement you crave unless you’re deeply into solely reading fairy smut under Afghans. No shame, me too. The other is to go to the Chicago History Museum for their Designing for Change: Chicago Protest Art of the 1960s-70s. You’ll quickly turn your self-imposed action impotence into fuel after realizing that monumental change is started by people who feel just like you.

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Caroline Huftalen

Caroline L. Huftalen is the food editor at Third Coast Review and columnist behind Dear Cinnamon. Her reviews and interviews can also be seen on BuskingAtTheSeams.com. Huftalen is the founder of Survivors Project, Inc. which raises awareness for domestic violence by sharing stories of survival. A graduate of the University at Buffalo and the Savannah College of Art of Design. Huftalen lives in Chicago with her family and is currently writing a novel.