LOL. In a looong, slow process of picking up steam as a writer. Although I've been on Quora for 6 or 7 years, even there, I have become mostly a reader because of the decline in quality. I have a few problems in getting started with my own substack:
1 — Things are happening so quickly, bad things, that it is all I can do just to keep up with reading, listening, and an occasional comment. Just finished watching Tess Lawrie's interview of Fahrie Hassan, and yesterday ... took time to write a somewhat longish comment regarding Dr. Toby Rogers (uTobian). And then there is my Kindle collection of well over 200 books, only 10 percent having been read, and not digested enough to really integrate with my still evolving mind-set.
2 — That still evolving mind-set is a bit like a YouTube mandelbrot set. I might have mentioned I began serious reading of philosophy as an undergrad ... but that rabbit hole is never ending. That is why I haven't yet responded to your post of the other day. I really like the practicality of that parallel anarchist economy you are suggesting. Some great ideas there. But when I came to your 'babies in the river' analogy ... I came to the edge of the rabbit hole again, thinking about empathy and its limits, and how it has played out for me in Japan as an educator (as opposed to a trainer or teacher). With enough time, unpacking the implications of those river-babies would take me a book — which no one would read. LOL. I still have to find a voice for keeping things informative, but entertaining and digestible.
3 — Currently on a brief summer break now, with things to do and promises to keep ... but soon enough, I will be back to my wage slave job as the token foreigner for public schools in a West Tokyo township. About 6 years ago, I had resigned in protest from a tenured college position ... and Japan Inc. is unforgiving, allowing few if any second career chances. Early autumn will see me in the hospital for removal of a small benign thyroid tumor ... but next spring, I intend on quitting this token-teaching position and concentrating on full-time writing, if nothing else, for therapy.
4 — No family, or real face-face community here, so I have been spending several hours a day forwarding YouTubes and substacks to about a dozen private F.Book groups, anc chatting with buddies ... mostly from Australia. They are more 'family' than my flesh and blood back in the states, who all seem to have bought into the corporate media model of propaganda. Thank god I have a few close friends here in Japan.
Health and circumstances permitting, I will start expanding beyond back-seat driver comments soon, but this eclectic learner is going to have to learn to channel the thrill I got at the immediacy of teaching college kids to the self discipline of writing without instantaneous feedback. This ol' dawg has gotta learn a few new tricks.
So many interesting things, Steven. In terms of Japan, no good deed goes unpunished. Good luck on that thyroid operation.
And in writing, I know what you mean about channeling the immediacy. Even though a handful of people listened to my radio show, it got some response (even when that was outrage ;-) When I decided to pause and write my book, it was almost a decade of talking to myself. But YT and Substack are back to the thrill of conversation, so I know you'll build an audience who'll give you more feedback and focused enthusiasm than the 'back-seat driving' (great phrase) of posting comments.
Last, I woke up thinking about empathy and its limits. I've often thought that it's necessary to develop a level of callous, to harden and strengthen your heart. If you don't, you can't bear witness to the suffering that's being inflicted. You'll have to close your eyes. So closed eyes or a tough skin, that's really the only choice.
Struggling to find a way to begin, I just wrote my first post on substack. My immediate reason is to start connecting with problem solvers like you ... but my long term goal is continuing the joy and therapy of discovery.
It's about 1:30 am here, but that choice between closed eyes and a callous skin sounds like a great segue into a topic of conversation. I've also thought a lot about that. No clear answers. but some great questions.
It's well beyond the witching hour, beginning to nod, and the medication will soon put me into a dreamless sleep. But with no work tomorrow, I will doze off and on with butterfly dreams before making that first thick brew of coffee.
I loved Butterfly Dreams, which I listened to while making breakfast as you were dozing off, and then ate said breakfast while reading your excellent and humble first post. Which I'll link here, since you were too humble to: https://steven45.substack.com/p/in-the-beginning-/.
I think it's going to be a very interesting bus trip you've initiated and I got my (free) ticket to come along for the ride. I've often said I'd go to the ends of the earth for a real conversation and Japan isn't nearly that far!
LOL. In a looong, slow process of picking up steam as a writer. Although I've been on Quora for 6 or 7 years, even there, I have become mostly a reader because of the decline in quality. I have a few problems in getting started with my own substack:
1 — Things are happening so quickly, bad things, that it is all I can do just to keep up with reading, listening, and an occasional comment. Just finished watching Tess Lawrie's interview of Fahrie Hassan, and yesterday ... took time to write a somewhat longish comment regarding Dr. Toby Rogers (uTobian). And then there is my Kindle collection of well over 200 books, only 10 percent having been read, and not digested enough to really integrate with my still evolving mind-set.
2 — That still evolving mind-set is a bit like a YouTube mandelbrot set. I might have mentioned I began serious reading of philosophy as an undergrad ... but that rabbit hole is never ending. That is why I haven't yet responded to your post of the other day. I really like the practicality of that parallel anarchist economy you are suggesting. Some great ideas there. But when I came to your 'babies in the river' analogy ... I came to the edge of the rabbit hole again, thinking about empathy and its limits, and how it has played out for me in Japan as an educator (as opposed to a trainer or teacher). With enough time, unpacking the implications of those river-babies would take me a book — which no one would read. LOL. I still have to find a voice for keeping things informative, but entertaining and digestible.
3 — Currently on a brief summer break now, with things to do and promises to keep ... but soon enough, I will be back to my wage slave job as the token foreigner for public schools in a West Tokyo township. About 6 years ago, I had resigned in protest from a tenured college position ... and Japan Inc. is unforgiving, allowing few if any second career chances. Early autumn will see me in the hospital for removal of a small benign thyroid tumor ... but next spring, I intend on quitting this token-teaching position and concentrating on full-time writing, if nothing else, for therapy.
4 — No family, or real face-face community here, so I have been spending several hours a day forwarding YouTubes and substacks to about a dozen private F.Book groups, anc chatting with buddies ... mostly from Australia. They are more 'family' than my flesh and blood back in the states, who all seem to have bought into the corporate media model of propaganda. Thank god I have a few close friends here in Japan.
Health and circumstances permitting, I will start expanding beyond back-seat driver comments soon, but this eclectic learner is going to have to learn to channel the thrill I got at the immediacy of teaching college kids to the self discipline of writing without instantaneous feedback. This ol' dawg has gotta learn a few new tricks.
So many interesting things, Steven. In terms of Japan, no good deed goes unpunished. Good luck on that thyroid operation.
And in writing, I know what you mean about channeling the immediacy. Even though a handful of people listened to my radio show, it got some response (even when that was outrage ;-) When I decided to pause and write my book, it was almost a decade of talking to myself. But YT and Substack are back to the thrill of conversation, so I know you'll build an audience who'll give you more feedback and focused enthusiasm than the 'back-seat driving' (great phrase) of posting comments.
Last, I woke up thinking about empathy and its limits. I've often thought that it's necessary to develop a level of callous, to harden and strengthen your heart. If you don't, you can't bear witness to the suffering that's being inflicted. You'll have to close your eyes. So closed eyes or a tough skin, that's really the only choice.
Hi Tereza,
Struggling to find a way to begin, I just wrote my first post on substack. My immediate reason is to start connecting with problem solvers like you ... but my long term goal is continuing the joy and therapy of discovery.
It's about 1:30 am here, but that choice between closed eyes and a callous skin sounds like a great segue into a topic of conversation. I've also thought a lot about that. No clear answers. but some great questions.
It's well beyond the witching hour, beginning to nod, and the medication will soon put me into a dreamless sleep. But with no work tomorrow, I will doze off and on with butterfly dreams before making that first thick brew of coffee.
G'night Tereza!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4BbS9xk_yw
I loved Butterfly Dreams, which I listened to while making breakfast as you were dozing off, and then ate said breakfast while reading your excellent and humble first post. Which I'll link here, since you were too humble to: https://steven45.substack.com/p/in-the-beginning-/.
I think it's going to be a very interesting bus trip you've initiated and I got my (free) ticket to come along for the ride. I've often said I'd go to the ends of the earth for a real conversation and Japan isn't nearly that far!