The Tao of Blogging, Part 2
We have already completed 25% of the book!
Don’t be wary, you witty writers! Share your wisdom with us in a great quote and have the chance to become part of a published collaborative book! Send in your submissions or nominate someone else in the comments below. If you’re shy, send me a private note, or email me here.
And now, without further ado here are the next seven spreads. (Sorry, smart phone users, I know the images will be small, so I included live text.)
From Zachariah Wahrer, “When life gives you lemons… Be grateful. Scurvy is real and you don’t want any part of that shit.”
Unexpected Benefits
Sometimes, you can’t make lemonade out of lemons; sometimes, you eat them to survive. Sometimes, things you never wanted turn out to be gifts that end up leading you to a better, and completely unexpected place.
From alto, “Sometimes bullshit really is just bullshit not thesis potential”
Shortcuts
There is no substitute for the real thing, whether it’s a degree, a new product, or a politician. Eventually, people recognize empty promises and even emptier substance.
From Michelle Stone, “Lists are like toilet paper”
Priorities
I hate lists because inevitably, like my grocery list, I leave off something that is crucial — like toilet paper, when there isn’t even one square left. Oh shit! toilet paper! [Never lose sight of the big picture while making a plan.]
From Justin Cox 🌮, “I was one fanny pack away from being a complete disaster”
CONTEXT
Is this humiliation for the fashion minded? Or is it a tale of triumph in the face of a travel-related disaster? So much of our judgments online are handicapped by a lack of context. Judge not lest ye be judged.
From Jeffrey Field, “It ain’t what you think”
I’m sorry-lo siento
Sometimes I don’t mean what I say, and sometimes I don’t say what I mean. But sometimes your interpretation makes me believe we’re speaking two different languages. Please have faith in my feelings for you.
From Francis Rourke, “It is what it is, but it didn’t have to be”
Destiny
One less beer… a little less rush to get home… replacing tires when you see yourself in their bald treads… turning off your damn phone. Fate is a a justification for bad decisions. Own your decisions before they own you.
From Michelle Stone, “ I am a mango pip in the fruit bowl of life”
Boundaries
There are people in your life who leave you feeling like a dried-up, sucked-up, chewed the hell out of, mango pip. Often you don’t realise it until you get that “got nothing left to give” feeling. Tell them “go suck on something else.”
From Gemma Kennedy, “I am freer for my losses”
Letting Go
Sometimes bridges are meant for burning… a job, a friend, a lover, even a family. Sometimes, you can only leave behind broken promises, betrayals and heartbreak when you can give up comfort, desire, and false hopes.
I hope you enjoy these pages. The plan is to come up with 52 stories, so readers can have a weekly laugh as well as something to think about.
I have no idea about whether we can make any money, since we’ll have so many contributors. Maybe the best thing would be to set it up so all the proceeds go to a charity like some literacy non-profit. We’ll eventually have to vote on this issue.
Shameless promotion #1: I call upon all contestants from The Grammar Games to step up and enter a different kind of arena. Send us a great quote you’ve written, or one you’re read.
Shameless promotion #2: All supporters who #Will Write For Donuts, now is the chance to create something that may actually lead to more compensation than you have ever received from Medium or other writing platforms. Or, we could donate 100% of the anticipated microscopic profits to a good cause, like a literacy program. It’s up for discussion.
Because, in the imagined words of Jon W:
“We all want the fucking donut.”
[UPDATE: We’ve already gotten a few more new contributions. Be on the look out for more. And shamelessly promote this idea to other writers you love, to see if they have suggestions. Thanks!]
