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Hi! You’re here! Thank you.

Tomorrow’s five years since I quit drinking. I don’t know if that’s significant or not. Other than immense gratitude to the version of me that made that decision, I don’t think about it much.

I’m not the kind of person to ‘what if’ things, and I’ve forgiven younger me for times of bad judgement. But why is it so hard to treat yourself with the same generosity that you give others?

That was the scariest time: peak pandemic, getting ready to send my kid back to school in the weirdest conditions imaginable, my business and personal life pretty much teetering on the edge of disaster. I was convinced I was a fraud, and that the world was catching on.

I often say (to myself, because it’s a bit eye-rolling) that sobriety is a superpower. It not only means I have the energy and determination to do what needs to be done in any circumstance, it means I know what it’s like to not have that. I can look back at 2020 me and see how much I’ve grown since then. I’m not that person anymore.

Today I’m at a transition point again, as my work is going to require me to do new things. I’ve spent a year now building a company, and it’s time to become the face of it, and to start trying to attract attention to it. That’s something I haven’t done since I left corporate life almost a decade ago. It’s going to be weird, but I suppose all growth is.

It’s also a transition time for Turn & Work: I’ve spent the last couple of weeks thinking and talking about what I want this whole project to be. At one point I almost shut the whole thing down. But here’s where I’ve landed: Turn & Work is more important than ever in this new phase. It’s the opposite of work. It’s listening to music like a teenager: pulling it apart, looking for details and surprises. It’s reading stories and books like I’m back in school: paying attention to not just the words on the page, but to why those words were chosen and placed in the order they are. Looking for references and connections that make the writing and music even richer.

This project has also made me a better writer and thinker, which has made me better at my work. So it’s not just a hobby, it’s another superpower.

So if you’ll have me, I’ll still show up in your inbox on Friday mornings. I’ll still have lots of weird music to rave about and books to share. I want to do more with short stories too. It might be interrupted by real world stuff, but I’ll share the interesting bits of that too, because work is part of life.

If you feel like being a part of this project, I’m always game to explore ideas for collaboration. Another voice on the site would be a breath of fresh air. Or if you have ideas about what you think should or shouldn’t be on the site, I’m all ears. Just hit reply.

And if you’ve read this far, thank you. You’re a real one, and I love you for it.

Now, let’s get this done and start the long weekend.

…losing the faith, she decides to murder Rayya, literally, by switching her morphine pills with sleeping pills and covering her in fentanyl patches—a plot that fails only because Rayya somewhat demonically cottons on to the plan and thwarts it

She stumbled upon Michelle Whitedove, a celebrity psychic. She dropped $25 a month for Whitedove’s newsletter, then largely ignored it until the spring of 2021, when she noticed the psychic had recommended a new crypto token.

What got your attention this week? Got a hot take on something? Hit reply and let me know.

Reading:

I didn’t post any books or short stories this week. Existential crisis and all that.

Listening:

Two outstanding records this week, both posted today:

The Setlist: 2 hours of great music. Standout tracks from Debdepan, Dayfiction  and moodlighting

Listen on Apple Music or Spotify.

Thanks for being here.

-hugh

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