Darlings, today’s letter is sponsored by the great Traveling Wilburys — End of the Line. I’m an absolute Tom Petty fan. This song, and others like it, are on rotation in my car. This one came on today. Felt right.
Those of you reading who know I lost my job on Monday may be wondering what I’m going to say about the subject. Those who don’t know, may also wonder what I’ll say about the subject, now that I’ve told them about the subject.
Even I’m wondering what I’m going to say.
The only way for any of us to learn what will happen next is to keep going. I’ll keep typing. You keep reading. Even though I stopped typing for a while, you didn’t know because we’re not doing our activities simultaneously.
If news of my unemployment shocks you, and you want to know more, you may decide to reach out. I appreciate it more than you know, even though I’m not quite ready to talk. And yes, that’s precisely what I’m doing here now. Let that absurdity warm your heart — I’ll be back with more soon.
Whoops, I’m still going, writing through the pain, the discomfort, the sadness, the shame, and the truth.
I want to share what I learned in the last seven months. It’ll fascinate you (as long as I can make it fascinating). Start-up life’s a beach, then you die.
I’ll leave you with this nugget I gleaned on Monday: one of my greatest gifts is also one of my greatest weaknesses. My integrity is potentially too intact — unwavering.
Theranos
Elizabeth Holmes and the story of Theranos are on my radar — rather, my television.
I’m late to the party. Her trial was in 2019.
On Friday, I began watching the mini-series after she was sentenced to 11 years in prison for fraud, and I didn’t stop watching all weekend. As I type, the documentary (finished the series) is paused in my bedroom while Emma crafts, and I write this letter to you.
For a hot 20 minutes, Emma was enthralled. It’s a storyline she could understand: a very smart woman with a distorted reality drops out of college, uses her parent’s tuition money to start a company, smart woman invents a device to help people, is determined to follow in the footsteps of notable inventors, single-mindedly goes after money and fame, fakes it until she (doesn’t) make it, lies, lies, lies even more, then more, then lies again, until a very smart woman finds a way to expose her.
“Did this really happen?” Emma asked.
It sure did, and holy shit!
For the uninitiated, a menu of Elizabeth-Holmes media for your consumption pleasure:
Watch the mini-series: The Dropout
Watch the documentary: The Inventor
Read the book: Bad Blood
Six Feet of Wisdom
I napped on my mom’s grave today. Soaked up six feet of wisdom.
In April 2021, we buried her in a shroud topped with tree branches in a green burial at Fernwood Cemetary. It’s a magical place where I go for love, guidance, and time with my mama.
Her resting spot is fives minutes from my home. What a gift she left her family.
Yield to Shoppers
Your home called… it wants to smell better.
Yield sells delightfully smelling goods like incense and candles. I like the Hinoki incense, personally, but it’s all great. Take 30% off everything — buy yourself a little treat. You deserve it. Your house does, too.
Also, Small Business Saturday is Saturday. You know what to do.
Shop.
Hot Air
After burning stove-top popcorn twice, I borrowed an air popper from my neighbor. Bam! What an instrument — very low cost for very high enjoyment.
There’s a Poplite 🍿 in my cart, and I’m not afraid to buy it. Pop one into yours, too?
Friends, a note of clarification: it wasn’t my intention to make my previous employer sound non-integrous. They have integrity. I have integrity.
I need to learn to write better :)
Simone, sorry to hear about your job. Every situation is different, so whatever I say in this circumstance may be out of place. Except “it’s only a job”. Keep going, keep writing, as you rightly said above, to discover what’s next: that’s the only way. I really enjoy reading you.
(P.S. Emma is also my daughter’s name. And my mom’s).