I took this post title from “Cat’s Cradle,” because it’s infectious and I think about it a zillion times per week. In the book, the phrase evokes pointless, self-important scurrying for the sake of self-important scurrying, essentially modern life.
For me, it’s a reminder to recognize pleasure in my life and ignore or minimize the administrative stuff. Is that a less-than-subtle way of saying I got clobbered on my taxes this year? I didn’t mean it that way, but reading back I guess it is.
There’s not always a price, but there’s a cost. I find it’s easier to remember that when the chickens come home to roost. For example, I’m glad I made the financial and spending decisions I made this year. I’m glad my stupid little side gigs not only funded my trip West but also allowed me to write experiential stories like this.
The larger point is the administrative and other boring stuff won’t go away so I tend to leave it until it has to be done in favor of doing things I want to do.
So if I find myself up late tinkering with something I should have already taken care of, I try and remember one cool thing that I did instead and wonder whether it was worth it. It almost always is.
I finished another Delmar (Uncensored). It’s about flags again. Flags are a mild obsession of mine. I feel like (except for a traditional American flag) they’re bumper stickers for your house. I don’t begrudge bumper stickers or (most) flags, but I do always wonder if they’re communicating the message that the flier intends.
I’ve mentioned before that I write a funeral newsletter and produce a funeral service (they call it “funeral service” like “secret service”) podcast as well. The show is called Funeral Service Insider: The Podcast. It comes out every other Monday and is a little less inside baseball than the newsletter is. You can subscribe to it here.
I’ve recently added a talking head video component that comes out every Friday as both a podcast supplement and a video. I try and keep it under 10 minutes and, if nothing else, it will provide you with cool funeral facts.
Substack also has added video in its Notes section that I’m going to try out this week. I’ve mentioned this before, but this newsletter is an aspect of what’s becoming a worthwhile, engaging social media site.
I assure you there are more fascinating newsletters on this site than you imagine, and looking through the Notes section is a great way to discover creator types across mediums that you might like.
I’ll have a more formal announcement after the show goes live, but I’ll be helping a former colleague with a podcast that I assure any of my Eastern Shore readers will get a kick out of.
AND as a reminder, the Return to Sender multimedia project is well underway. I’m working on an update this week that’s going to be a lot of fun. I think it’s also going to be one of my first video notes because it’s visual.
PLUS! I’ve made my first inroads into postcard selling and trading culture, which is a not-insignificant collectors niche. Here’s the website for the Twin City Postcard Club. These are indeed exciting times.
I’ve decided to ping you with the notification that a new story is up, but not to crowd your inbox with them. So expect a couple pings from me next week.
Keep the Faith,
Tony
PostScript
These are a couple stories I think you might like.
