(A) New Year Post

(Just new for me this time)

I did not do my annual New Years post this year, something I thought absolutely no one would care about but which, surprisingly, multiple people seemed to (if my DMs are anything to go on at least). The new year has come and gone but tomorrow I enter a new year (for me) and I figured I’d give it a go now instead. Ironically, in my first New Years post I did clarify that I am someone who measures the new year around my birthday so really this is just a return to form. This is not a proper post in and of itself, more of an addendum/follow up to bridge the gap for the 2 or 3 people who might still be interested. I’ll start fresh next year when I’m 27 and infinitely wiser I’m sure.

So, a review of last year's resolutions/observations:

A (Very Incomplete) List of Things I Need to Give Up:

1. Twitter— shockingly, I did actually give this up in the end. My account is deleted, along with all my greatest hits of which I am so proud. If you never saw my viral posts where I found out celebrities weren’t actually pansexual after years of telling people, or where I was really mean to Nepo babies in a way I later regretted once I’d eaten something, I guess you never will. Although that fucking Lottie Moss tweet will haunt me on Google and Reddit for eternity. I will not be linking it. I did, however, find this edit someone made of one of my tweets and I’m obsessed.

   

2. Phone games— this has actually gotten worse. I’m currently addicted to a game where you drop little guys in holes. It’s a different version of basically the same game which I have now played at least 3 versions of. I have spent actual real money on this, which wasn’t the case for Twitter even though spiritually it was much more damaging.

3. Animal byproducts— while I am still completely in agreement with veganism morally I have not yet put my money where my mouth is. And added complication this year my grandma gave me a real fur coat of hers which is several decades old so I think ethically ok but still feels a bit scandalous. All in all I’ll give this one a big fat 0.

Overall, a very poor showing but ultimately giving up twitter more than makes up for it. I hate to report that spending hours of your one precious life being attacked by incels (evil) or niche corners stan twitter (not always evil but often scarier somehow) is actually damaging in a way it might not feel in the moment.

Matilda’s 26 Wrapped

film

In 2024 my first movie watched was How To Have Sex and the last movie watched was Home Alone, something I at the time thought was funny and kinda depressing. The first movie I watched as a 26 year old was Begin Again and the last one I watched was True Lies, which also feels as though it could be profound but I would need someone to tell me how and why. My favourite movie I’ve watched for the first time since turning 26 is The First Wives Club, a movie that felt like it was somehow already a key part of my personality and development despite the 26 years I’d existed in the world without it. I watched it with my friends in a theatre mostly full of men, many of whom laughed so loud it hurt my eardrums any time Goldie Hawn spoke, which I have to assume is the ideal first viewing experience. The worst movie I watched for the first time as a 26 year old was either the Ice Cube War of The Worlds or Ella McCay, which I watched back to back on the sunniest, nicest day of my visit back to Canada in March, which was a ridiculous thing to do.

books

I have been on a long journey back towards basic literacy over the past several years— here was what I had to say about it in 2024:

ok edgelord we get it you have a substack

In 2025 this increased to 12 books, and so far in 2026 I have read 19 books, almost ALL of which have been on my phone, but now I have the Libby app so that feels ok. Would Joan Didion approve of the Libby app? Who’s to say. Probably not (but Eve Babitz maybe would). My favourite book I have read this year is by a wide margin Less by Andrew Sean Greer. The worst book I read was called Romantic Comedy and I couldn’t finish it even though it had a great premise because despite being about a female comedian it was the least funny book I’ve ever read. I read several other romantic comedies which were great and funny and charming (though most sucked), my favourite being The Flat Share by Beth O’Leary. The worst rom com I read and finished was called Problematic Summer Romance and I should not have been surprised at all but Jesus Christ. Some books I read and enjoyed that I hadn’t heard people talking about (perhaps due to my aforementioned self-imposed illiteracy) were Julie Chan Is Dead by Liann Zhang, Patricia Wants to Cuddle by Samantha Allen, and The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center.

music

My switch to Apple music is now complete as Spotify has finally kicked me out completely, but it’s on a boycott list now so that’s fine. My top song of last year was In A Big Country by Big Country, which I listened to basically daily for several months, often more than once a day. My top song in February was Robbie Williams punk cover of Back For Good. If you want to follow me I promise my playlists are significantly better than that would imply and you can find me at matilda_e22.

What Now?

I ended 2024 saying I felt sure I was living in a world that’s ending. I don’t feel that way anymore, at least not all the time. I still can’t think about climate change for more than 30 seconds at a time without feeling an overwhelming sense of dread, but I have spent the last two years seeing the impact that we can have on each other’s lives and it has helped me feel less powerless in other ways. I spend my days doing work that is fulfilling and meaningful and feels important to me, and that has been the biggest and most positive factor in changing this mindset. I still can’t really envision a world where I am middle aged, or have kids, or collect a pension fund, but it doesn’t feel like that is as much of a problem now. In the meantime there are concerts to go to and sunburns to get.

This year I decided to put the same effort into forming friendships as we are expected to put into romantic relationships, and it was far more successful than my attempts at dating back in the day were. I said yes to essentially every plan I was invited to and while I am broke and sleep deprived as a result it’s the most fun I’ve had in years, or maybe ever. I had all my hair cut off (somewhat unintentionally) and now everytime I look in the mirror I feel 14 again, which I’m telling myself is a sign I needed a fresh start. I bought linen clothes and high heels because it felt grown up in a reasonable way. I got a tattoo dedicated to Marge Simpson that I love but feel a little embarrassed explaining whenever somebody asks. I am surrounded by charming, funny, talented, intelligent people and I remain terrible at texting them back despite always having my phone. I have never felt younger or older than I do right now. I tried to come up with some resolutions to end this on but it didn’t feel quite right. Bye for now.