Quote of the Week: “To refrain from imitation is the best revenge.”—Marcus Aurelius. I don’t know much about the Roman emperor beyond his contributions to stoicism, but today is all about imitation. As a writer online, I try not to get idealistic about originality. I know nothing I do is remarkable and that it’s merely the byproduct of an information smorgasbord consumed daily. Still, when I catch people lifting my words verbatim or copying my style down to the nitty gritty, it makes me question what I’m even doing this for if someone can so easily pawn it off as their own. But I’m working on taking frauds in stride and staying true to myself, no matter the petty frustrations. If I can’t handle it now, how will I when I WRITE AN ERA-DEFINING BOOK THAT CHANGES LIVES GLOBALLY? (please indulge my sarcasm)
Drinking: The same americano that’s been beside me since 9 AM. I’m actually super low energy right now thanks to a stretch of poor diet and exercise, so I may need to inject some caffeine into my veins for the midday crash. Godspeed.
Eating: Brown rice, spicy Italian chicken sausage, and peppers topped with spicy mayo. Are you a condiment queen? Tell me what you squirt all over everything (wrong answers only haaaaaa).
Listening to: Crypto Casey’s podcast, because the libertarian in me is apparently on a mission to join the DeFi movement. I promise I’m not suddenly interested in cryptocurrency because dogecoin mysteriously skyrocketed last week (though I’d be lying if I said it didn’t add a playful, shitposting element to it that I can’t resist).
Just Purchased: The Brooks Ghost 13, because when Hoka is sold out of everything I want and I can’t find grey New Balance 990s anywhere, I simply marry the two for the perfect dad running shoe. I’ve been running in Hoka for a few years now, but I’ve been itching to switch brands for myriad reasons. I’ll report back as I continue my C*VID recovery journey.
Feeling: Have you ever found perfect chemistry with someone only to let your qualms about how they look on paper deter you from being together? That sort of happened to me this week with an opportunity I was really hopeful for, except I was the one who didn’t look good on paper (read: wasn’t qualified) and got dropped. My logical brain knows it was a reach from the start, but that won’t stop my heart from mourning the what ifs all day… ok, all week.
Thinking: About adding an audio component to this newsletter. I’ve already committed to not starting a podcast, but my friend Alli recommended adding audio readings of each piece to make them accessible to those with reading limitations. I can get down with that. I hope it wouldn’t keep folks from traditional reading, but it’s definitely something to consider with a few longer pieces on the horizon. Thoughts?
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