The Magic
|
Hey y'all,
So, I'm working on a new paying gig, and it's got my routines way off. That, plus all the travel I've been doing, has me feeling like I'm wearing someone else's clothes. I'm fine, just... uncomfortable. And behind. Like, all the time.
But it does have its compensations.
We moved to a new city the year before a global pandemic made meeting new people difficult. More difficult for me than some because my wife was immunocompromised, and I was terrified at the prospect of bringing home this disease, nearly guaranteed to be fatal to her in those early days before vaccines and antibodies and anti-virals.
So we locked down, and I learned how to make both a difference and a living from home, and while we kept her safe and managed to survive economically, it was also isolating as hell. But in this new gig, I'm meeting folks. Lots of folks. I'm doing somewhere around 20 1-on-1 meetings each week, which is jumping into the deep end after years of relational atrophy.
As an introvert, people are expensive for me, but one on ones are the easiest form of people for me, so it isn't too taxing. But it is marvelous being with people again, learning their stories, hearing their dreams, and occasionally finding someone who is weird in the same ways you are weird. You think that maybe, just maybe, this person will end up being not just someone you know professionally but perhaps even end up as a friend.
Meeting new friends has been hard in the past few years.
So, if you notice my writing volume has decreased (it hasn't, but the amount I publish has), it's just that I'm adjusting to this new reality. I'm already settling in, so I anticipate things leveling off soon. Thanks for hanging with me as I adjust.
Writing
This week I only published one thing. Tomorrow is the 2nd anniversary of Dad's death, and something happened this week that made me feel that in a visceral way.
Last Year
And this week last year, on my blog, I noted Dad's passing by talking about all the ways this week is filled with emotions for me, both good and bad.
Things I Liked
When I want to kill time but don't have the spoons to handle being on Facebook, I pop over to the Today I Learned page on Reddit, where people post things they learned today. Other people pop in the comments to clarify and correct, and it's always fascinating.
Along the same lines is this (very long) list of common misconceptions over on Wikipedia. So much of what we "know" is wrong.
And this list of Digital Love Languages made my heart melt a bit, and I felt known.
Thank You!
This newsletter, like all my projects, is a reader-supported publication paid for by my members. I can only do it because people like you buy me a cup of coffee or forward this letter to someone else. And if someone did forward this to you, you can get your own subscription here.
Take care,
|