I'm having a hard time right now too, Alex. The world is on fire and my friend who has been my friend since I was 11 years old just passed away. But also my friends who have tried to have a baby for years and years and suffered heartbreaking losses are in the process of adoption. There is light and darkness everywhere. Anyway I too liked the Dad and vulnerable stuff and I absolutely adore stories about your car and your parents and all the madness. Keep up with that, we all love to be able to recognize a little of ourselves in others and to be able to say, "oh yeah my car sucks too" or "ha ha my parents are nuts too" or "my child is inexplicable also!"
You rock. Keep rocking. We need everything that we can get to put a smile on our faces.
YOU made me smile lately, dummy. And I've said this before but I'll say it again: I agree with Erin. The vulnerable family stuff is the bomb. It's what roped me in, initially. When Substack was a bit smaller and I still discovered cool stuff that I was excited to be part of. Substack has changed and we've all changed and I guess we just always have to be prepared to goddamn PIVOT. I am grappling with this myself at the moment (and have been for a while) 😭
God, the existential dread and real struggle is hammering us all these days. I really enjoy your thoughts and words, and I'm glad you're here. Thanks for bringing some levity to the shitty things.
i'd like to answer this question: "What’s one good thing that made you smile lately"
i saw a video in instagram of lion brothers who came up to each other and then started hugging and rolling around and lying down together and it was adorable. animals loving each other is one of my favorite smile-inducers!
This is great. I don't always comment, which is not great, but anyway, whoever said too much dad stuff, maybe it was just too good for them, and they were jealous?
I like it all: mopey, surreal, funny—it's all connecting. And outside of pieces and Substack, I sure hope you're doing well. It's such a crazy time.
I was a mope monster two days ago. By the time you read these comments you might be de-moped.
We plan to move back east to be near our kids but we finally found a community here that we will miss. It will be tough to leave. With little ones you’ll make new friends in an unmopified flash.
My recent smile provocation? Watching hubby enjoy a cup of coffee in the shower.
It's ok. You're ok. I don't know if we'll ALL be ok. But so far the sun keeps rising, and this is all absurd, so make cookies with rainbow sprinkles in them and write pep talks on sidewalks with chalk, or something like that.
But good things today - my two dogs. One is a very sweet rescue and the other is an 80 year old, only child, human boy trapped in a dog's body, and who HATED the rescue when we first got him, that one actually let the rescue play with HIS ball today for 3 minutes, and it was amazing. PROGRESS.
I walked into a bookstore today and a dog walked right up to me and sniffed me and started wagging his tale and I had a full conversation with him about why I couldn't let him outside and then his person came over and this Very Good Bookstore™️ dog has his own blanket and seat in this bookstore and if nothing else if dogs keep liking me than I think I'm doing ok. That's what made me smile today.
I did a little bark laugh at the phrase “arms afullbo.” And speaking of BB, there’s that - if you’re not in the ring getting your ass kicked I’m not interested in your feedback - quote from her, and it’s the perfect sentiment for that troll.
1. Mopey is absolutely fine. Some of my very favorite friends are champion mopers.
2. I made a friend laugh when today when she asked if I was doing something for thanksgiving and I said, no...then asked what day of the week it was this year. She said she had never known anyone in her life who cared so little about that holiday that they didn't know what day of the week it was!
3. Yes, I am ready. I've done all my marketing chores for the day. I have figured out when I am going to do my chair pilates because my foot is acting up so badly I can't walk much less stand to do my needed keeping the body moving. And I have a book I am reading to get me through the rest of the day. 4. Making my friend laugh, definitely made me smile!
Not at all ready for the holidays but I’m absolutely ready for the time off that comes with the holidays.
Good post here. I’m a tough laugh but there’s something special about a shared disgust for those phone booth things genuinely made me smile. We have one of those in our office. They are without a doubt one of the worst things to come out of the pandemic, far worse than QR menus and only marginally better than long covid. Borderline feel like Homelander every time I step into one of those things.
There’s no being ready. I am also sweaty and it’s that special kind of stress sweat that has an extra nutty, almost spiciness to it. I was racing to lock up the house and run (suitcase in one hand dog leash in the other) to the train station and through all of it, carrying my headphones on my ears, no time to pick the right song, I have Tannhauser in my ears. How could one ever be prepared for Tannhauser, stress sweat and almost missed trains?
Um what the heck is a co-working space? Is this some european thing (though you definitely mentioned us issues)? Why on earth would amyone want to work in an undivided office with people doing entirely different stuff?
(1) I came here to unsubscribe. But then I read this and changed my mind. The reason I was going to unsubscribe is that Substack has so much in it - i.e., I subscribe to so many things and now there’s Notes and this and that and it’s just noisy now, you know? - and I hadn’t been reading your stuff. No particular reason - I just hadn’t seen it in a while. And since I hadn’t read anything in a while (six months? and I look at Substack every single day)… I forgot how great and unique your writing is. Bottom line: I don’t think your subscription numbers are flat because there’s more competition; you’re voice is unique. I think your subscription numbers are probably flat because its just a lot noisier now and it’s harder to hear.
(2) Jack Gilbert was famous for a few years in his early 20’s. That’s too young to be famous. Later in his life he wrote this poem. I hope you enjoy it.
Aww I love you two.
Also I had a cinnamon roll this morning and that was a VERY GOOD THING
I'm having a hard time right now too, Alex. The world is on fire and my friend who has been my friend since I was 11 years old just passed away. But also my friends who have tried to have a baby for years and years and suffered heartbreaking losses are in the process of adoption. There is light and darkness everywhere. Anyway I too liked the Dad and vulnerable stuff and I absolutely adore stories about your car and your parents and all the madness. Keep up with that, we all love to be able to recognize a little of ourselves in others and to be able to say, "oh yeah my car sucks too" or "ha ha my parents are nuts too" or "my child is inexplicable also!"
You rock. Keep rocking. We need everything that we can get to put a smile on our faces.
YOU made me smile lately, dummy. And I've said this before but I'll say it again: I agree with Erin. The vulnerable family stuff is the bomb. It's what roped me in, initially. When Substack was a bit smaller and I still discovered cool stuff that I was excited to be part of. Substack has changed and we've all changed and I guess we just always have to be prepared to goddamn PIVOT. I am grappling with this myself at the moment (and have been for a while) 😭
God, the existential dread and real struggle is hammering us all these days. I really enjoy your thoughts and words, and I'm glad you're here. Thanks for bringing some levity to the shitty things.
dear alex,
i'd like to answer this question: "What’s one good thing that made you smile lately"
i saw a video in instagram of lion brothers who came up to each other and then started hugging and rolling around and lying down together and it was adorable. animals loving each other is one of my favorite smile-inducers!
thanks for asking!
love you!
myq
This is great. I don't always comment, which is not great, but anyway, whoever said too much dad stuff, maybe it was just too good for them, and they were jealous?
I like it all: mopey, surreal, funny—it's all connecting. And outside of pieces and Substack, I sure hope you're doing well. It's such a crazy time.
I was a mope monster two days ago. By the time you read these comments you might be de-moped.
We plan to move back east to be near our kids but we finally found a community here that we will miss. It will be tough to leave. With little ones you’ll make new friends in an unmopified flash.
My recent smile provocation? Watching hubby enjoy a cup of coffee in the shower.
It's ok. You're ok. I don't know if we'll ALL be ok. But so far the sun keeps rising, and this is all absurd, so make cookies with rainbow sprinkles in them and write pep talks on sidewalks with chalk, or something like that.
But good things today - my two dogs. One is a very sweet rescue and the other is an 80 year old, only child, human boy trapped in a dog's body, and who HATED the rescue when we first got him, that one actually let the rescue play with HIS ball today for 3 minutes, and it was amazing. PROGRESS.
I moved far away and cry missing my friends too. This was a great read, you’re really good at uncomfortable situations.
I walked into a bookstore today and a dog walked right up to me and sniffed me and started wagging his tale and I had a full conversation with him about why I couldn't let him outside and then his person came over and this Very Good Bookstore™️ dog has his own blanket and seat in this bookstore and if nothing else if dogs keep liking me than I think I'm doing ok. That's what made me smile today.
I did a little bark laugh at the phrase “arms afullbo.” And speaking of BB, there’s that - if you’re not in the ring getting your ass kicked I’m not interested in your feedback - quote from her, and it’s the perfect sentiment for that troll.
1. Mopey is absolutely fine. Some of my very favorite friends are champion mopers.
2. I made a friend laugh when today when she asked if I was doing something for thanksgiving and I said, no...then asked what day of the week it was this year. She said she had never known anyone in her life who cared so little about that holiday that they didn't know what day of the week it was!
3. Yes, I am ready. I've done all my marketing chores for the day. I have figured out when I am going to do my chair pilates because my foot is acting up so badly I can't walk much less stand to do my needed keeping the body moving. And I have a book I am reading to get me through the rest of the day. 4. Making my friend laugh, definitely made me smile!
Not at all ready for the holidays but I’m absolutely ready for the time off that comes with the holidays.
Good post here. I’m a tough laugh but there’s something special about a shared disgust for those phone booth things genuinely made me smile. We have one of those in our office. They are without a doubt one of the worst things to come out of the pandemic, far worse than QR menus and only marginally better than long covid. Borderline feel like Homelander every time I step into one of those things.
Keep writing my man. Your stuff is good.
There’s no being ready. I am also sweaty and it’s that special kind of stress sweat that has an extra nutty, almost spiciness to it. I was racing to lock up the house and run (suitcase in one hand dog leash in the other) to the train station and through all of it, carrying my headphones on my ears, no time to pick the right song, I have Tannhauser in my ears. How could one ever be prepared for Tannhauser, stress sweat and almost missed trains?
Um what the heck is a co-working space? Is this some european thing (though you definitely mentioned us issues)? Why on earth would amyone want to work in an undivided office with people doing entirely different stuff?
Two things.
(1) I came here to unsubscribe. But then I read this and changed my mind. The reason I was going to unsubscribe is that Substack has so much in it - i.e., I subscribe to so many things and now there’s Notes and this and that and it’s just noisy now, you know? - and I hadn’t been reading your stuff. No particular reason - I just hadn’t seen it in a while. And since I hadn’t read anything in a while (six months? and I look at Substack every single day)… I forgot how great and unique your writing is. Bottom line: I don’t think your subscription numbers are flat because there’s more competition; you’re voice is unique. I think your subscription numbers are probably flat because its just a lot noisier now and it’s harder to hear.
(2) Jack Gilbert was famous for a few years in his early 20’s. That’s too young to be famous. Later in his life he wrote this poem. I hope you enjoy it.
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43410/i-imagine-the-gods