Thank you for writing this- for being willing to keep your toes feeling for traction on the slippery pool bottom.
Sometimes making a simple declarative statement - shorn of any claim to eloquence or insight or other dazzle dazzle - can be that toehold.
I love reading your writing. See you on the other side of these particular strange days.
I WROTE SOMETHING! It's long and from the heart. If that's not what you're into, that's totally chill because I'm also on TikTok now!! Here we goooo!!!!!!
Haha, I just checked the two videos on there ;) I’ve got the app because I did some professional research on their Terms of Use and safety policies. Was pretty interesting actually (I’m an online policy nerd as you probably know). The videos were fun. Looks like you found your way around some of those filters already :D
The videos are extremely addicting so, after a few days of just watching, non-stop, I had to stop watching cold turkey. Now, as an experiment, I’m trying to see if I can not watch a single TikTok, indefinitely. In other words, be 100% creator and 0% consumer. Before I open the app - no joke - I have to mute my iPad and cover the screen and then after I manage to navigate to the “create a video” portion of the site, I feel like I’m in a safe spot where I can do the fun stuff lol
Oh yeah! I know exactly what you mean. The team that designed the algorithm for the feed is absolutely amazing. It’s genius really. After only a few user actions it already knew what I liked and kept giving me more and more of what I ended up liking even more. This is the Facebook news feed on steroid. Perfect example of how dangerous social engineering can be when it’s done right.
Side note: the company was criticised for purposely hiding content from overweight people in the feed... as someone who saw the content that gets presented I’m guessing you aren’t surprised to hear that
I love this, Bill, because what I feel more than anything in this piece is your struggle. That struggle comes through so loud and clear that it's kind of heartbreaking -- but in a good way! A clean way. The cleanest, clearest one can be.
Of course, I must now quote Billy Joel...
"Honesty is such a lonely word
Everyone is so untrue
Honesty is hardly ever heard
And mostly what I need from you"
The past is true when it happens, and then it becomes a story. And stories, almost by definition, are full of details that aren’t true.
I don’t care if other people are honest. That’s none of my business. In fact, it might not even make sense for others at this time. But I know, for sure, that it’s what I need right now..
Everyone has their way of interpreting the truth. And about honesty, I don't think so it requires a proof, be authentic!
The past is true when it happens, and then it becomes a story. And stories, almost by definition, are full of details that aren’t true.
There are a million ways to tell the story. They’re all true. Yet none of them are the truth.
I love, love, love this. Especially the part where you talked about honesty being your new personal mission and only core value. I liked how you used this piece to explain the truths and non-truth of things. So simple and so relatable.
I offered my brain to these words, I read a heartfelt story that nourished my day and I sent some kilobytes to the Readup servers. It's good to have this all.
Loved reading this, Bill!! Felt raw and honest to me. Sounds like you’ve got a lot of soul searching .. or maybe truth searching going on. Good luck! I have no doubt it will be an amazing experience.
Thanks for sharing :)
Truth is such an important and impossible question. I hope you don’t give up on it. It is hard for us to be true to ourselves in part because we have to simultaneously be true to others, especially those we love. It gets complicated that way. I can’t think of many other people who are as authentic as you are. It is the source of your goodness. And honest, oh yes!
When I read your submission I thought of Walt Whitman:
“I am large, I contain multitudes”
You do and we are all the better for it.
We are all going to weather this storm because we are sticking together. Love you a lot!
Thank you for writing this- for being willing to keep your toes feeling for traction on the slippery pool bottom.
Sometimes making a simple declarative statement - shorn of any claim to eloquence or insight or other dazzle dazzle - can be that toehold.
I love reading your writing. See you on the other side of these particular strange days.
Very interesting way of putting it. Strangest of days.
I WROTE SOMETHING! It's long and from the heart. If that's not what you're into, that's totally chill because I'm also on TikTok now!! Here we goooo!!!!!!
Haha, I just checked the two videos on there ;) I’ve got the app because I did some professional research on their Terms of Use and safety policies. Was pretty interesting actually (I’m an online policy nerd as you probably know). The videos were fun. Looks like you found your way around some of those filters already :D
The videos are extremely addicting so, after a few days of just watching, non-stop, I had to stop watching cold turkey. Now, as an experiment, I’m trying to see if I can not watch a single TikTok, indefinitely. In other words, be 100% creator and 0% consumer. Before I open the app - no joke - I have to mute my iPad and cover the screen and then after I manage to navigate to the “create a video” portion of the site, I feel like I’m in a safe spot where I can do the fun stuff lol
Oh yeah! I know exactly what you mean. The team that designed the algorithm for the feed is absolutely amazing. It’s genius really. After only a few user actions it already knew what I liked and kept giving me more and more of what I ended up liking even more. This is the Facebook news feed on steroid. Perfect example of how dangerous social engineering can be when it’s done right. Side note: the company was criticised for purposely hiding content from overweight people in the feed... as someone who saw the content that gets presented I’m guessing you aren’t surprised to hear that
I love this, Bill, because what I feel more than anything in this piece is your struggle. That struggle comes through so loud and clear that it's kind of heartbreaking -- but in a good way! A clean way. The cleanest, clearest one can be.
Of course, I must now quote Billy Joel...
"Honesty is such a lonely word Everyone is so untrue Honesty is hardly ever heard And mostly what I need from you"
Thank you!! Beautiful quote.
Everyone has their way of interpreting the truth. And about honesty, I don't think so it requires a proof, be authentic!
Yup. And their own way of communicating it.
I love, love, love this. Especially the part where you talked about honesty being your new personal mission and only core value. I liked how you used this piece to explain the truths and non-truth of things. So simple and so relatable.
Yay! Thanks!!
Brilliant introspection literature. Honesty is scaryAF but practice makes life so less stressful.
I offered my brain to these words, I read a heartfelt story that nourished my day and I sent some kilobytes to the Readup servers. It's good to have this all.
Loved reading this, Bill!! Felt raw and honest to me. Sounds like you’ve got a lot of soul searching .. or maybe truth searching going on. Good luck! I have no doubt it will be an amazing experience. Thanks for sharing :)
Thanks for this Bill!
Truth is such an important and impossible question. I hope you don’t give up on it. It is hard for us to be true to ourselves in part because we have to simultaneously be true to others, especially those we love. It gets complicated that way. I can’t think of many other people who are as authentic as you are. It is the source of your goodness. And honest, oh yes!
When I read your submission I thought of Walt Whitman:
“I am large, I contain multitudes”
You do and we are all the better for it.
We are all going to weather this storm because we are sticking together. Love you a lot!