Once, many years ago, I was sitting with a bunch of writers at the Old Timer's tavern, and we were all telling funny stories about how crazy our families are. At the family reunion, Aunt Louise having to be talked down from a tree. That sort of thing.
One of us, a young man from Indiana, was quiet. Until he felt compelled to tell us about his own dysfunctional family. We all leaned forward. His father wasn't always candid with him, he said. And his mother was generous to a fault.
When we all burst out laughing, he was terribly hurt and then we all felt bad.
That's why I'm not revealing his identity—nor, the identity of the consultant who sends out an email every week with her personal musings on life. Experiences she's had, and lessons she's learned.Like all of us these days, the consultant wants to be authentic. She wants to be real. She wants to be so authentic and real that we'll hire her, because that's the sort of people people hire these days, supposedly.
She does not write about the business in which she is expert.
Instead, she tells us about a long hike she took without having trained sufficiently or brought the right equipment.
She confesses what "most people don't know": She didn't get into the college she wanted to go to on her first attempt.
Also, her teenage daughter got super drunk once.
She writes things like:
"As I prepare my newsletter this weekend, I am acutely aware of the violence, sadness and strife in the world. It can sound trite and privileged to even talk about 'going with the flow' of life."
Indeed, it cannot sound any other way!
"Most of us know that taking time off is important. It refreshes us and enhances our creativity and productivity. Then why do so many of us, most of us, not take the time off we need to rejuvenate ourselves? I ask myself this question because I, too, have a hard time unplugging."
See "trite and privileged," above.
Not long ago, she shared some news!
"The last couple of weeks, I've been especially kind to myself, and it has felt great."
Midday monkey business, with peanut butter!? Sadly, no. She's been allowing herself to skip her 6:00 a.m. workout, and sleep until 7:00.
To paraphrase an old saw: Better to be thought tedious than to write a weekly newsletter and remove all doubt.
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