Welcome to Twosday with Two-Cents Simone.
I’ve published five essays on simonesilverstein.com. There’s a 6th waiting in the wings and a 7th behind that. And so it goes for eternity.
I’m in love.
With feedback. Never before have I offered so much, and received so much in return. For five weeks, my writing, me, naked, exposed, with hundreds of people commenting.
I take off my robe and the audience looks closely at each wrinkle and fold. Given a Sharpie, they mark me up and I do the same to them. We exchange suggestions, accolades, notes of confusion, and boredom too. The mirror is so gratifying. I fucking love it.
I know this: one-way drips of feedback politely couched do nothing for anyone. They feel like criticism—always. A culture of prolific, two-way feedback betters everything in its path. Fear dissipates with immersion. I learned this in Write of Passage. My, how I’ve grown.
Two Cents to help and recommend to you.
A podcast recommendation that you don’t need (but you do) is Smartless. It’s between funny friends, Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett. They interview smart people that you’ve likely heard of. It’s perfection.
"Are you okay if I share the light bulbs that went off in my head as I listened to what you said?"
A friend shared this language with me and I’m sharing it with you. What a beautiful way to offer direct, yet permissive feedback. Thank you, Michael.
Buy this sweatshirt for someone you love.
Write It Right is a word lesson.
An elimination diet for your speech:
I HATE the word “should.”
When individuals use it, cringe. When businesses use it, nails on a chalkboard.
We are what we say, so I got rid of it several years ago.
I use “ought to” or I rework the sentence altogether.
It takes more awareness, but good things do.
You ought to try it.
Show and Tell gives you a peek into my week.
This is what friendship since elementary school looks like. We celebrated our collective 45th birthday with a weekend away. Ten “old” friends laughing hard, wearing matching hats.
I Say is from an essay I’ve written.
The sun has kissed my body raw. My skin, sprinkled with brown and white freckles, looks like cinnamon and powdered sugar but doesn't taste as good.
It's crepey and begging for moisture.
There's a hair bandit that steals follicles from one area and drops them like dandelion seeds in another. "What the fuck is this doing here?” I mumble. The bandit is already gone.
"You don't think your stomach will do this," my mom would say, pointing at hers. Then one day, it does." She's fucking right! Mine is doing that.
Read the full essay Aging is Nuts.
More or Less?
I need to write. Thank you for indulging me. If I bring you good thoughts and smiles, this relationship works.
Feed me feedback. What would you like more of and less of? This newsletter is for me to write and for you to think and smile. Let’s make it reciprocal.
P.S. If you find a typo in any of my work, email me. I’d like to know about it.
See You Next Twosday!
I see you, naked. 👀
Great edition, Simone! Love your intro and could not agree more about the power of two-way feedback. And happy collective 45th bday to you and your friends, such a great group shot to commemorate the occasion!