Giving Birth

I've never done that... well, except for this Substack

It’s been 9 months since I hit publish on my first post and since then I have written 16 posts and now have 116 subscribers.(Which still amazes me!) Since so many of my subscribers have joined in the last few months, I thought I would reintroduce myself and my hopes of what this Substack will be about. For those of you who have been with me from the start, you can either reread it or go on with your day. And I want to thank ALL of you for taking the time in your busy lives to read my ramblings. I really and truly appreciate it, and especially those who take the time to comment and share their thoughts.

This is my first Substack post. I feel like it needs to be perfect. Say all the right things. Or maybe introduce my myself to the world. But if I’m honest maybe 5 people will even find this post and then read it. And most of them will know me anyway. So here goes.

Why Substack and why now? I’ve been alive for 61 years and feel like I might have some things to share that others might find interesting or humorous or heartbreaking. Writer, runner, cooker, daughter, sister, auntie, partner, friend. I’m not one thing so why would this be about one thing. One week I might talk about my running, another might be to share about something delicious I cooked or baked. Another time I may share a story from my past, or a new adventure I am planning. I also envision that I might get a little deep here and share some thoughts on life as I’ve lived it. Maybe I will talk about my parents, my friends, who knows… So does that sound like something you might want to read?

Another thing that is inspiring me to start a Substack is another chance to create community. Community has always been a huge part of who I am and how I have lived my life. Whether it is through my work or my running or my spirituality or even where I am living. Connecting with others is one of the biggest parts of who I am, so I am hoping I can create a community of readers here that can connect with me and each other, through the written page or maybe even IRL! I have actually made some of my closest and dearest friendships in recent years through the internet! And it wasn’t as scary after the first time….

When I think about who my readers might be, honestly it could be anyone. Yes, I am writing from the perspective of someone who has been on this planet many years, but also I am someone who truly believes that age really is just a number and I can chose to focus on the number or the living and I pick the latter. When I am out on a run with friends no one cares how old I am. And when I am working in a kitchen surrounded by other coworkers we are all just doing our part in creating delicious food. But if I am honest, (and why wouldn’t I be?) I am hoping my readers will not only be my age but younger people who may gain some nuggets of inspiration or dare I say wisdom from what I can share.

So is there a story behind the name of the newsletter? I first heard this phrase from a spiritual teacher years ago. I have since used the phrase often in my life when I am trying to make a decision. Whether it is a job, a move, a run, dinner. I have tried to listen and pay attention to what is the “next obvious thing”, not always the right thing, or the logical thing or the sensible thing, or the wrong thing, but the obvious thing. And that has led me to some awesome places, experiences, and people. I hope to share some of the magic in those words with you here.

As it happens, my birthday is this week and I still can’t believe the number. But I am grateful to be able to be here for another go around the sun while so many are not.

So here we go. Hitting publish right now seems like the next obvious thing. Hope you will join me for the ride.

• Thank you for being here with me today and reading my ramblings. Please let me know if you liked today’s post by tapping the “heart” and add a comment if anything in particular resonated with you. I always enjoy hearing from you!