Recorded on Nov 30, 2023; We start out discussing people that are driving Elana crazy - who she dubs “The Needers” - and how people constantly seek her help and counsel, making her one of “The Needees”. We agree that while it’s important to help people, something she excels at and is admittedly drawn to, she must also prioritize taking care of herself as she doesn’t always get that kind of care given back to her. She also questions why certain kinds of people, especially those that she feels are “brilliant”, are drawn to her not to seek her help but her companionship and conversation. ‘Why her?’ she asks, to what I respond ‘why not you?’ The conversation then runs the gamut from questioning her grieving for Earl, being depressed (or not), her acknowledgement of Allan’s impact on her life as well as his idiosyncrasies, her love of short stories and of learning, and her experience with “blackballing” when she was newly married and trying to acclimate to a new life. We end on Elana asking how she can be more politically active, and how she can rally those at Aviva to do something because they feel helpless, and of course she wants to help - further exemplifying the respective roles as “The Needers and The Needees”. 

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