Latham, thank you for reading & leaving a note. Brought a smile to my face. It’s my first time trying to describe a character before so it was an interesting challenge.
I will get back to your email! It’s been a busy and transitional week.
Ahhh that’s so interesting James. I would agree - everyone we meet calls forth new parts of ourselves. And when we meet the *right* people I think it’s the best parts of us they call into being.
Really appreciate you reading & your insight as always
Haha thanks so much Kim. Your support week in, week out seriously means a lot to me.
My one roommate did his masters in Finland and also spent a lot of time in Sweden. He said Finns tend to be more shy and reserved, less extroverted and outgoing. I thought it was interesting.
Thank you. I hope yours was good too! Something to be said about the strong silent stoic types and the heat within (like the sauna) that is shared only with chosen few 😉lol
“The cliché “Everyone has something to teach you,” felt trite. Until I realized it was true. That’s the thing about clichés: I only find my way back to their truths through experience.” yessss touché.
Beautifully written, Tommy. My heart jumped when I read the lines, “I turned back and asked how her day was. She lit up, startled by excitement.” The day before yesterday, on my way to a coffee shop in Pokhara, Nepal, I saw an older man sitting on a small bench by himself, facing the large Fewa lake this town is most known for, with a notebook on his lap, writing. I had seen him before and felt drawn to speak to him, but I was afraid of disturbing him. On my way home later that day, when I walked past the same bench facing the lake, and saw it empty, I thought of the man with the notebook and wondered how different my day perhaps would’ve been, had I stopped to say hello. Perhaps, rather than bothering him, he would have lit up, like the woman in your story. I’ll never know. But you’ve inspired me to be less afraid to speak to strangers next time!
And wow, I love that story of you in Nepal. Definitely resonate. One of my goals last year was to spend time in a retirement home or just talk to more old people to hear their life stories. (I didn’t but it’s still on my list!)
Interactions with strangers - although fleeting - can really be beautiful things.
Reading your pieces make me feel human. Another beautifully written piece, and in a world where its the easy thing to focus on the negativity, its much better to focus on the fact that people really are fascinating! Thank you yet again for another wonderful essay Tommy!
Dylan! Thank you for reading & leaving such a kind note. Means a lot.
It definitely is easy to focus on the negativity and lose hope. But I find more and more I create the world that I live in - so may as well choose to create one I want to inhabit.
What a beautiful character portrait. I’m impressed with the depth that you got to know Salim. I agree..it’s gentle and probing. So much to glean from talking to strangers. Isn’t that what we’re doing here on Substack all the time?
Thank you Sadia!! It was my first time trying to capture a character and I really wasn’t sure how well it turned out.
We definitely talk to strangers on Substack! The one difference I’ve seen is that talking to strangers is completely random - which may introduce you to totally new pockets of the world you never thought existed (or ideas, beliefs etc) whereas I personally select a lot of Substack writing that already confirms what I believe.
Thank you for reading and the insightful comments. Appreciate you (:
What a refreshing read. Your style is very gentle - which is so nice in this era of slap-you-in-the-face-writing.
Thank you for sharing.
Thanks John (: really appreciate you reading & taking the time to leave a kind note
It’s always so interesting to hear how my writing lands and gentle isn’t one I’ve gotten before
Hope you have a lovely February weekend
“That’s the thing about clichés: I only find my way back to their truths through experience.” ✨
Thanks Carina 🫶
Beautiful writing this week Tommy. You have a gift for highlighting the stories of strangers.
Latham, thank you for reading & leaving a note. Brought a smile to my face. It’s my first time trying to describe a character before so it was an interesting challenge.
I will get back to your email! It’s been a busy and transitional week.
Hope you’re having a lovely weekend (:
Excellent, Thank you. I hope you will write about the Bible and the other books you are going to read.
Thank you! I’m still so early on with Christianity but I think there’s a lot there to be explored, both intellectually and spiritually.
Thank you for reading & taking the time to leave a note. Appreciate you (:
I hope you will write about the Bible and the other Christian books !
I hope to Jo! I’m still so early on but I think there’s a lot there to be explored.
Thank you for reading & taking the time to leave a note. Appreciate it (:
Tommy, you made me think, if we truly are all connected, all “one” then strangers are parts of ourselves we haven’t met and gotten to know yet.
Such a great piece.
Ahhh that’s so interesting James. I would agree - everyone we meet calls forth new parts of ourselves. And when we meet the *right* people I think it’s the best parts of us they call into being.
Really appreciate you reading & your insight as always
...congratulations on the launch!...
Thanks CansaFis! Appreciate it (:
Love your stories and emotional landscapes. Hmm, curious about the slight differences between Swedish girls and Finnish girls. 😂🇫🇮
Haha thanks so much Kim. Your support week in, week out seriously means a lot to me.
My one roommate did his masters in Finland and also spent a lot of time in Sweden. He said Finns tend to be more shy and reserved, less extroverted and outgoing. I thought it was interesting.
Hope you’re having a lovely February weekend (:
Thank you. I hope yours was good too! Something to be said about the strong silent stoic types and the heat within (like the sauna) that is shared only with chosen few 😉lol
“The cliché “Everyone has something to teach you,” felt trite. Until I realized it was true. That’s the thing about clichés: I only find my way back to their truths through experience.” yessss touché.
Thanks Clare (: so happy that line resonated
Beautifully written, Tommy. My heart jumped when I read the lines, “I turned back and asked how her day was. She lit up, startled by excitement.” The day before yesterday, on my way to a coffee shop in Pokhara, Nepal, I saw an older man sitting on a small bench by himself, facing the large Fewa lake this town is most known for, with a notebook on his lap, writing. I had seen him before and felt drawn to speak to him, but I was afraid of disturbing him. On my way home later that day, when I walked past the same bench facing the lake, and saw it empty, I thought of the man with the notebook and wondered how different my day perhaps would’ve been, had I stopped to say hello. Perhaps, rather than bothering him, he would have lit up, like the woman in your story. I’ll never know. But you’ve inspired me to be less afraid to speak to strangers next time!
Thank you Amalchi!
And wow, I love that story of you in Nepal. Definitely resonate. One of my goals last year was to spend time in a retirement home or just talk to more old people to hear their life stories. (I didn’t but it’s still on my list!)
Interactions with strangers - although fleeting - can really be beautiful things.
Hope Nepal is awesome (: I’ve heard great things
"It’s the barriers that are boring. People are fascinating. "
I'm a fan of strangers. They seem to teach us exactly what we need to learn on that given moment.
I completely agree Terra. When I look back at my past I chuckle at how I somehow met the exact right people when I needed to meet them.
Thank you for reading & being such an amazing support (: means a lot
Stunning writing as always - such a beautiful way to remind us that *actually* living holds more fruit that reading about living :)
I'm also converging to the same idea - that real people's stories are often far more insightful and inspiring than fiction.
All we must do is listen, and ask the right questions!
Zan! Thank you for reading & taking the time to leave a note. Love it.
Totally agree. It’s taken me a while to learn. To accept life as its own teacher of sorts. To realize how much is gained from simple experience.
I think you’re exactly right on people’s stories. Life seems to be a better storyteller than I can ever be.
Hope you’re having a great week & thanks again (:
It doesn't matter how rough, *rough* is. This final draft is bliss.
Thanks Haley (: appreciate you always helping me make sense of my idea on the page
Reading your pieces make me feel human. Another beautifully written piece, and in a world where its the easy thing to focus on the negativity, its much better to focus on the fact that people really are fascinating! Thank you yet again for another wonderful essay Tommy!
Dylan! Thank you for reading & leaving such a kind note. Means a lot.
It definitely is easy to focus on the negativity and lose hope. But I find more and more I create the world that I live in - so may as well choose to create one I want to inhabit.
Hope you have a great week (:
That’s a great way to think about it! Thank you, I hope you have a great week also!
"Much of learning about life is remembering I’m not the center of the universe and there’s a lot I don’t know." ♥️🤌
Jennifer! Thanks for reading & I’m so glad that line resonated (:
Hope you have a lovely week
What a beautiful character portrait. I’m impressed with the depth that you got to know Salim. I agree..it’s gentle and probing. So much to glean from talking to strangers. Isn’t that what we’re doing here on Substack all the time?
Thank you Sadia!! It was my first time trying to capture a character and I really wasn’t sure how well it turned out.
We definitely talk to strangers on Substack! The one difference I’ve seen is that talking to strangers is completely random - which may introduce you to totally new pockets of the world you never thought existed (or ideas, beliefs etc) whereas I personally select a lot of Substack writing that already confirms what I believe.
Thank you for reading and the insightful comments. Appreciate you (: