“We never truly know ourselves. We exist in wafts of mystery, tracing the hints that are offered to us.” Beautiful writing, Grant! I’m working on a memoir about a life time with some-one who is now fighting a tough cancer fight. So much of this newsletter speaks to what I am trying to capture- the fleetingness of life, yet the infinite time found in one moment of love. Thanks for this. I need to catch up on your podcast episodes!
This! "the fleetingness of life, yet the infinite time found in one moment of love."
Thanks so much for your kind words. And best of luck to you with your memoir. Thanks for listening to Write-minded as well. Comments like yours provide the fuel ...
Again, you've provided me with revealing dimensions of the infinitely faceted mind: to see my writing in some different way, exploring what reading does to both writer and reader; to understand more fully a new aspect of how writing is a life explorer's journey through the trees as the intimate way to know the forest.
Thanks so much, Cle, I'm glad this resonated. It's all definitely a "life explorer's journey," at once lovely, at once perilous. Somehow, that's the beauty. Onward through the forest ...
Grant, I “love” how you have presented your personal approach to the word love here. Many people I know throw the word around as an obligation. Or a habit. Couples fly through it at the end of every phone call as if it is all one word, “Iloveyoubye.” It’s meaningless. As you mention here, love is much more than a word. It is actions, behaviors, and love is what ISN’T said. And it should always be unconditional or it isn’t really love.
Oh, I'm so glad this resonated, Leslie. And thanks for pointing out the use (or overuse) of the word "love" in salutations. That's a pet peeve of mine as well. And you've captured the mechanical way it's too often used: “Iloveyoubye.” When such a powerful word is misused, it's power is diminished.
I was looking for the etymology of 'intimacy' and Google showed me this, which turns out to be more helpful for my understanding of why I like the word. :-)
"The ache to connect." I teach a course on longing where we explore 13 archetypal longings, but over the years, I've come to believe that every one of those 13 longings, at their root, is the longing to connect. Beautiful piece, Grant.
Oh, I love the idea of a course on longing. I wrote a piece on longing a year or so ago. I'll have to dig it up. In the end, we all just want to feel we belong, so I agree: longing to connect is at the root of all.
I love the name of your Substack. I wish mine had been as inspired. I started one rather impulsively, too as a sort of experiment, and didn't want to spend months researching or thinking about names. Yours appeals to exactly the kind of people you are trying to reach.
Thanks so much, Audrey. I guess it's important we wear the clothes we're comfortable in, so to speak. And as a result, we attract "our people," converse with our people, which is what's important in the end. Good luck with your Substack. I believe in impulsive (intuitive) leaps of faith.
Being an epitome victim of grooming ,an absurd form of child sexual abuse.....these meretricious thoughts and convictions of yours ,put a heavy sway of rapture and hopes over my famished mind and thus lended a true mentality to turn myself wildly invictus and let me truly realize my true potency to achieve remarkable feats in my academic career...LENDING A WHOLEHEARTED GRATITUDE FOR SUCH A MARVELLOUS SCRIPTING!!! ..................this is Megha Shah, a fervent netizen from INDIA.
“We never truly know ourselves. We exist in wafts of mystery, tracing the hints that are offered to us.” Beautiful writing, Grant! I’m working on a memoir about a life time with some-one who is now fighting a tough cancer fight. So much of this newsletter speaks to what I am trying to capture- the fleetingness of life, yet the infinite time found in one moment of love. Thanks for this. I need to catch up on your podcast episodes!
This! "the fleetingness of life, yet the infinite time found in one moment of love."
Thanks so much for your kind words. And best of luck to you with your memoir. Thanks for listening to Write-minded as well. Comments like yours provide the fuel ...
I loved this as well - "tracing the hints that are offered to us" feels like so much of the essence of what we are striving for as writers.
Again, you've provided me with revealing dimensions of the infinitely faceted mind: to see my writing in some different way, exploring what reading does to both writer and reader; to understand more fully a new aspect of how writing is a life explorer's journey through the trees as the intimate way to know the forest.
Thanks so much, Cle, I'm glad this resonated. It's all definitely a "life explorer's journey," at once lovely, at once perilous. Somehow, that's the beauty. Onward through the forest ...
Grant, I “love” how you have presented your personal approach to the word love here. Many people I know throw the word around as an obligation. Or a habit. Couples fly through it at the end of every phone call as if it is all one word, “Iloveyoubye.” It’s meaningless. As you mention here, love is much more than a word. It is actions, behaviors, and love is what ISN’T said. And it should always be unconditional or it isn’t really love.
Oh, I'm so glad this resonated, Leslie. And thanks for pointing out the use (or overuse) of the word "love" in salutations. That's a pet peeve of mine as well. And you've captured the mechanical way it's too often used: “Iloveyoubye.” When such a powerful word is misused, it's power is diminished.
I was looking for the etymology of 'intimacy' and Google showed me this, which turns out to be more helpful for my understanding of why I like the word. :-)
Thanks, David! How funny my post made it into the Google search results for that.
"The ache to connect." I teach a course on longing where we explore 13 archetypal longings, but over the years, I've come to believe that every one of those 13 longings, at their root, is the longing to connect. Beautiful piece, Grant.
Oh, I love the idea of a course on longing. I wrote a piece on longing a year or so ago. I'll have to dig it up. In the end, we all just want to feel we belong, so I agree: longing to connect is at the root of all.
"We stumble in the darkness. Intimations provide my only light." Gorgeous distillation of your substance title.
Thanks so much, Stephanie! Stumbling ...
wowsers!
perfectly timed post
beautiful
grabbed me
thank you
I love the name of your Substack. I wish mine had been as inspired. I started one rather impulsively, too as a sort of experiment, and didn't want to spend months researching or thinking about names. Yours appeals to exactly the kind of people you are trying to reach.
Thanks so much, Audrey. I guess it's important we wear the clothes we're comfortable in, so to speak. And as a result, we attract "our people," converse with our people, which is what's important in the end. Good luck with your Substack. I believe in impulsive (intuitive) leaps of faith.
"The benefit of being misunderstood" speaks to me. Thank you for this thought provoking substack.
“If you love a flower, don’t pick it up.
Because if you pick it up it dies and it ceases to be what you love.
So if you love a flower, let it be.
Love is not about possession.
Love is about appreciation.”
Osho (Rajaneesh)
Perfectly said.
Yes.
This is so good!
Being an epitome victim of grooming ,an absurd form of child sexual abuse.....these meretricious thoughts and convictions of yours ,put a heavy sway of rapture and hopes over my famished mind and thus lended a true mentality to turn myself wildly invictus and let me truly realize my true potency to achieve remarkable feats in my academic career...LENDING A WHOLEHEARTED GRATITUDE FOR SUCH A MARVELLOUS SCRIPTING!!! ..................this is Megha Shah, a fervent netizen from INDIA.