I don’t normally do this.
But I’m asking you to forward this email to a friend. Just wanted to put that out there right up front.
Self-promotion makes me uncomfortable. This is my fifth time trying to get these first few sentences right, and even now, they feel a little off. But I’ll never get them where I want them, so I’m keeping it as simple as possible.
Forward this to someone you know who might enjoy something I write.
You don’t even have to worry about what to say when you forward it. I wrote the subject line with you in mind. Just press forward and let it ride.
If you do, you’ll make my day. If you don’t, my affection for you will remain exactly where it is. That’s as close as I can get to issuing a threat.
The reason I’m asking you to forward this one is because I’ve been writing a lot. If you follow me on LinkedIn, you already know that. If you’re cool enough to not have LinkedIn, then everything below will be new to you. Welcome.
And if you’re reading this thinking, “Why in the world did my friend forward me this random email?” just know that there’s someone in the world who thinks your friend is pretty great. And that someone is me. And my name is Jonny.
Thanks for reading this far.
- jd
(Note: If you were forwarded this email by a very neat friend of yours, you can sign up to receive it on the first Friday of every month. Cheers.)
What I’m Writing
Like I said, I’m still peppering LinkedIn with mini-essays. Nine to be exact. I feel confident that there’s one in here you’ll like, but I’m not going to tell you which one.
Before I started writing this I took a few spins of my notification cycle. It goes like this…
Yesterday, I watched both the sunset and the sunrise. Which begged the question, why do we still speak as if the sun moves around us?
We're kids playing at being grown-up. Which is pretty fun if you ask me.
If I don't own the first hour of the day, then the rest of the day owns me.
I don't have a new idea every day. Not even close. Which is why I wear walking shoes.
This is how I answer the following question: “Why did you do an Ironman?”
Failing to meet one goal can be exactly what allows us to hit another.
All I did was what I wanted to do in the moment. Which wasn’t as fun as it sounds.
What if we approached life with the attitude of a kid reading a story?
What I’m Reading
Per that last essay, I just finished The Hobbit. It’s a completely different experience than Lord of the Rings and built with a lot of fun. These past few weeks, it’s been something exciting to have on my nightstand. Every time I saw it, I got excited to get in bed and read a little bit. Which is a great way to end any day.
Now, I’m in the market for some good new fiction. Got any recs? Hit reply and pass along a book title and three words that describe how it made you feel.
What I’m Drinking
Our favorite restaurant right now is Malai Kitchen in West Village, and they have this House Pressed Sugar Cane Juice with Ginger & Lime (that’s the official title lol) that is unbelievable. I’m putting this on record right now with the full disclaimer that I reserve every right to rescind this statement at any moment and for any reason with no repercussions, but it is the single best drink I’ve ever had.
Sweet. Fresh. Smooth. Nice. Soft. Gentle. These are just words. They do the drink no justice. If you have $5.50 to spare, do yourself a favor and change your life.
I think the reason I feel strange with self-promotion is not because I lack confidence in what I’m writing. I think it’s good. I think people will like it. Which are two somewhat separate but related things. But really it’s that I don’t want to be a burden on people who are reading this, especially the select few (thinking about calling y’all The Chosen, but is that to Harry Potter-y?) who make it this far. I want to sound aloof and cool and say “forward this if you want, but no biggie, I’m chill.” But I’m not always chill. I want people to read what I write. Like, really badly I want that. I mean, I’m posting on LinkedIn for god’s sake. Of all the social media platforms, that’s the one I’m leaning into. But there’s something, I don’t know, embarrassing (or maybe it’s vulnerable?) about admitting what you want. Then, taking that a step further and asking for that thing just brings on this whole wave of awkwardness and fear and anyway, look. I don’t know where I’m going with this. It’s strange to me that I asked people to forward this to a friend. But I’m tired of writing only for myself. My journals are full. I’ve processed so much on my own, inside my head, with just a pen and some paper. I want to take the next step. These words are going out into the world. Sometimes carefully edited. Sometimes in giant rambling paragraphs. Hopefully, someone somewhere someday reads them and likes them. Or maybe hates them. That’s fine too honestly. Just as long as they’re being read instead of hiding on my bottom bookshelf for no one (not even me) to ever look at again. Will you forward this? Will you fault me for asking? I want to know the answer but I’m also unsure.
Which, ironically, is how I feel every time I start to write. Funny. You think I’d get used to this.