The Letter: Laugh Until You Die

Issue 106

Hello, Dear Friends, Welcome to Issue 106. Imagine if I actually had 106 issues—like real issues. (I may.)

Actually, I have almost no issues. I’m safe, happy, and healthy. I’m privileged. I’m grateful. I write that as a reminder to myself. And a reminder to you. We are okay. Though some are not. 💔

Let’s dive in…

But first, I must acknowledge my newsletters have lacked substance lately. There was a time when I’d dive into a subject, state my opinions, take you on a journey, and share my deepest, darkest secrets (if only). That time seems to have passed, but the important lesson for us all is that it will return—or something else will.

With aging comes awareness of patterns. The ebb and flow of life. What felt at one time like a sentence now feels like a tide. My musings will return, as will my waistline. And if neither do, something else will.

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Stone Cold Pete

The recent cold open by Pete Davidson on SNL deserves (and is getting) praise. In the face of tragedy, comedy must walk a very fine line. Pete walked it.

Pete’s dad, Scott, was a firefighter killed on September 11th. Pete was seven.

I recommend The King of Staten Island if you've not seen it. Co-written by Pete, based on his life and directed by Judd Apatow. It explains a lot.

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Listen Up

Look no further for your weekly dose of ADHD information. Obvi, it’s here.

I have Julie to thank for this podcast reco (not the Julie who recommended the Spanx pants a few weeks ago), but Julie, a 5th-grade teacher with four kids who rocks the mom thing like it’s her goddamn job.

No parent wants to put their kid on medication for ADHD. But the informed parent can do so confidently (or not).

Be an informed parent.

Listen to this podcast on medications and see if it helps you form an opinion based on current realities, not previously-held beliefs about only the atrocities of turning to medicine.

Thanks, Julie! ❤️

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Goodbye, Sweet Boy

Stephen and his family put down their 11-year-old pup, Rango. I said goodbye on Monday. He left us on Tuesday.

Comparing Rango’s passing with my mom’s a few years ago (stay with me), they share innocence. Death does that. Watching the dying die, we witness their birth. They become infants.

Innocense is another way of conveying vulnerability—describing the viscerality of an overused phrase. Like tire tread, with use, words lose their grip. Authenticity, vulnerability, (insert jargon)—we use them because they sort of fill a need. But we’re not satisfied. Finding an alternative that truly helps us tap the feeling we want to convey is glorious. We see a way in—a hidden door. As a communicator by trade, this is my secret sauce.

Innocense is vulnerable. Witnessing innocence taps our infancy. That is quite vulnerable.

Folks, this is writing in real-time. You’re reading my stream of consciousness, loosely edited. My fear of murky thoughts and murky writing has kept me from going deep. This newsletter is a step in writing freely in public to refine my thinking. The more I do it, the better it will get. I hope you dig. Thanks for being here.

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For the Uninitiated

I rarely introduce myself. Who is Simone? Among other things, I’m a writer for brands. Let’s say you have a company. I write the messages you want to send in a way your customers want to hear.

But wait, I don’t just write. I express. One of my projects is a YouTube channel with Heath Ceramics. Co-owner Cathy and I create videos with a look inside Heath at the good and quirky people, places, and things abound. Super scrappy. Super fun.

There’s nothing to show yet, but it’s coming, and it’s pretty sweet. 😄

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Truth in Comedy

Because I shared a podcast recommendation, I have to share this cartoon by a hilarious writer I know, Colin Nissan.

Colin writes for the New Yorker and McSweeney’s. And he plays the Ten Dollar Bill in this episode of Everything Is Alive (another podcast recommendation!).

He’s hilarious. You’re welcome.

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Much love and gratitude to you. Until next week… Simone