[Seth Says] All You Can't Eat!

Longtime subscribers used to not loading the same photo that is always there should be sure to see the above photo, which is a departure from usual. It is a photo from my uncle, of a recent in-store advertisement at Whole Foods in Vienna, VA.

This weekend is Rosh Hashannananana (shoo-bop, shoo-bop), the Jewish New Year. It joins Chinese New Year and Dec 31st New Year as the trio of New Years that I have celebrated in the past. (Although I guess birthdays are basically just personal New Year celebrations.) I say you may as well celebrate as many of them as you like; I've long held the opinion that holidays are pretty much all arbitrary anyway, so anything that gives you an excuse to get together with people you like and eat food you like is a good celebration, and anything else is irrelevant.

I at some point celebrated and now don't because most of my friends do not live conveniently down the street and Covid means I'm not doing big indoor gatherings and as I said, if I'm not going to be eating food I like with people I like, what's the point? (And yes, I still eat food I like with my favorite person, which is a nice celebration that we have fairly frequently, but it doesn't really merit raising a particular day because I try to celebrate most days in that manner.)(but not in a stately wayne manner.)

I guess people ascribe other meanings to New Years, be they good fortune or divine approval or resolutions, but any of these can be sought at any time and I guess after being a freelancer for so long I've just become uninterested in doing things on a regimented schedule that I didn't have a say in. What can I say, my glamorous lifestyle (yesterday: ghostwrite chapter of leadership book. today: stare out window at bunny rabbit in yard) has spoiled me.
 

The spelling of LYFE hopefully suggests that I am enjoying freelancing in the manner of a 17-year-old who thinks he is cool, rather than implying that I am somehow freelancing for LIFE, as if my freelancing was going to save lives. It is not. 

I have friends (still, somehow, for which I am grateful) who are actually out there saving lives - including some of you fine subscribers - whether they are working in healthcare or law or teaching or whatever other area lets them apply their knowledge to saving and protecting and empowering the afflicted, and my admiration for them (you, if applicable; consult your local listings for details) is great indeed.

That's not really what I do. But my hope is that I can provide said people with some engaging things to read and a few laughs to improve their day, and stress relief for people doing good also counts as a good, right? I mean, we can't all be hero-protagonists (which reminds me, I should re-read Snow Crash at some point), and the older I get, the more I watch Lord of the Rings and very much want to be a hobbit who avoids adventures but maybe bakes something nice for the hero and wishes them good luck.

Have a biscuit.
 

I'm not sure what I had originally set out to say in the preceding section, but it wasn't that, which was all random thoughts. I know what I want to say in this section though: This week's column marks what is to my knowledge a historic first (although I guess technically everything is a historic first, and heraclitus would agree)(or would if he wasn't dead)(you can't step in the same stream of consciousness twice) - I have received assistance in creating this week's column from an award-winning advertising columnist who has held columns in publications ranging from the LA Times to USA Today.

Okay, it's my uncle. But still, while I've oft admired his journalism career and have occasionally asked his advice about the newspaper biz in general, this is the first time I can recall that he materially contributed to the content of one of my columns. (which I should make clear, is not a thing I seek out from people, please don't email me to say "I know what you should write a column about," because I don't wanna.) But in this case he sent me the above photo which I thought would be a perfect hook for a column.

Alas, the paper didn't end up running the photo with the column. But thanks to your wisdom and foresight in subscribing to this newsletter, you get to see the photo and read my column it inspired about how
 

 

I certainly don't ask for any money for this newsletter, nor do I ever plan to, but as mentioned in this week's column, I do occasionally ask for money for local food banks and food pantries, which help people to have food, which as previously discussed, is basically required in order to celebrate, although for some reason, I just want to add commas to this sentence forever, I mean, what if I just kept writing it, would you keep reading, you're still reading now, you're still reading so far, you're still, oh, I lost some of you.

Anyway, if you want to donate to my local place that provides food to the community, you can donate to the Berkshire Food Project, and if you want to donate to your local place that provides food to the community, I applaud and encourage that but you'll have to look up where that is and how to donate, although I'm sure it won't be hard to find. (Hell, if you ask nicely, I'll find it for you.)

And for those of us whose chosen careers are very much not about saving lives, donating to provide food to the needy is a relatively inexpensive and efficient way to feel like we briefly are making a difference, improving other people's lives, doing that kind of hero thing we so rarely do.

And for those of you who are already improving the lives of others, certainly I couldn't ask any more of you, but if you did donate anyway, it would be like you started this newsletter a hero, then read some of my cheesy jokes, and then donated and became even more of a hero.

And that would make you a hero sandwich.


Ridiculous 4 LYFE,
Seth