It was just a silly little joke
Hi Friends,
I wondered if I could write this week’s newsletter without mentioning The Tweet. Could I write about my planned topic (ghosts) and just pretend that posting a Tweet that gets 196,000 likes is just my regular ol’ Friday?
Nope. Turns out I can’t.
(The ghosts will have to wait. Seems like ghosts might be good at waiting.)
In case you were not one of those 196,000 people - here is the Tweet I posed without even thinking about it and barely checking it for typos before I sent it out into the world.
It was just a silly little joke.
Going viral is a strange experience. On one hand, it brought a number of you to this newsletter, and for that I’m very grateful. (Wave to the new people, everyone! Welcome!)
On the other hand, it felt super vulnerable, like standing naked in front of a crowd in one of those creepy dreams. Except unlike in my dreams, I was getting real life messages calling me a “shrill, ungrateful bitch.” They hoped “I got what was coming” to me, which doesn’t sound great because I’m pretty sure they didn’t send me a gift card or something.
So, my email inbox is overflowing, and it varies from absurd (please send me a signed photo of your feet) to really very lovely (you wrote an incredible book that inspired me to make some changes in my life) — so it’s quite a rollercoaster going through them all. And some emails arrive addressed to my “assistant” or my “team” which is hilarious because it’s just me over here, recruiting my husband to help me ship out signed books. Olive tries to help but she mostly just gets dog hair all over everything.
Luckily, within 48 hours someone named Edward placed a really complicated Starbucks order, so Twitter shifted over to that. I really appreciate the fickleness of the internet. Godspeed to you, Edward. It’s going to take you two weeks to dig out of your inbox.
So, all and all I’d say this going viral thing is a mixed bag. 3 star rating. Some cool stuff but needs improvement.
*Waving again to all the new people.* Please know that connecting with you all is the best part of the whole crazy thing. Whether you've been with me for years, or just joined us now, I’m so glad you’re part of this community.
Beyond The Tweet, my week has been downright odd and stressful. 2021 just keeps bringing the hits. So here are the things I used to self-soothe:
What I’m reading
I’ve been needing to go back to basics lately, and reading through just a few pages of this classic book on mindfulness has been exactly what I need. No silly fluffy stuff, just reminders on how to be here, even with those difficult moments. Pair that with a handful of my new obsession - Brookside Dark Chocolate Açai and Blueberry and my soul is instantly soothed.
What I’m cooking
Even though it’s May, we made up these New Years Black Eyed Peas and Greens recipe the other night. It’s everything I love in a recipe: simple, fast, healthy, tasty. Throw in some cornbread or whatever else you like to give it a little more sticking power. Follow up with more of those dark chocolate thingies as a chaser because you bought the big bag at Costco and they’re gonna go bad if you don’t eat them all soon.
Because I am a book nerd
My God, I love a library. I always have. (As I type this, I am totally hit with that amazing library smell. There is nothing better than the smell of musty books.) My first stop in New York City is always to see the NY Public Library lions. Whether this speaks more to my love of libraries or Ghostbusters, I’m not exactly sure. But I really do love libraries.
So I’m doing an online talk for the Vaughn Public Library on May 20th at 2pm Eastern. It’s free. It’s online. And you should totally sign up for it. Even if it might not have that great musty book smell.
What the dog and I recorded
A new podcast episode on the difference between thriving and surviving, and why I’m changing up almost everything in my life. Also, the dog chimes in. You can listen to my Embrace Your Weird Podcast on my website, or on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you listen to such things.
What I need to remember
This cartoon from xkcd.com needs to be posted on my monitor. Maybe it’ll help you, too.
Thanks for reading, everyone.
Get ready for a newsletter about ghosts next time.
Much love,
~Lisa