Jesse, this piece is what I needed this week. Hunting, parenting, and negotiating the AI filled desert that is freelance work. All put together in a narrative of reflection in the woods.
This feels a bit like a tribute, an acknowledgment, and a hint of emptiness. A never-ending walk with glimpses into the ravine but also from its edge. Seeking the path, the one that is dense, hardly noticeable and how it trails to clarity, unmistakable tread, only to be obscured again by the vegetation, the shift in the clouds, a bead of sweat.
This, so beautiful: "Freshly bitten maple shoots and wafty brown hairs settled on the snow." A nod to what AI cannot do - generate stories with emotional value. Stories and words that deserve to be read.
Jesse, I love the way you wove in the different life aspects as if it were all a "trail" to follow, often not knowing how deeply you might have to travel to reach some resolution. Loved it!
Thank you for reading and the comment. Yeah, the 4 plates is crushing and I am still doing it occasionally when I’m auto-pilot. I mentioned to another reader that perhaps moving would be the solution, but that would simply be avoidance.😂
Sometimes I feel like a moving to make it a clean break in effort to avoid the reminders. I think that would be what the professionals call “avoidance?” 😉
This is definitely my favorite piece. So much to unpack and I realized I was stopping and wandering along my way.
Thanks, Eddie. Glad you liked it and enjoyed the wander!
Sometimes, Jesse, reading your essays feels like a glimpse into the future. Great stuff.
And beautiful deer! Congrats.
I appreciate that Lou.
It’s funny to think about these different stages…no kids, with kids, without kids (sort of).
Stunning piece, Jesse.
Thank you, Erin.
Jesse, this piece is what I needed this week. Hunting, parenting, and negotiating the AI filled desert that is freelance work. All put together in a narrative of reflection in the woods.
Cameron- That’s awesome. So glad it clicked; hearing that makes my day. It’s an overwhelming landscape at times, but also a liberating one!
This feels a bit like a tribute, an acknowledgment, and a hint of emptiness. A never-ending walk with glimpses into the ravine but also from its edge. Seeking the path, the one that is dense, hardly noticeable and how it trails to clarity, unmistakable tread, only to be obscured again by the vegetation, the shift in the clouds, a bead of sweat.
This, so beautiful: "Freshly bitten maple shoots and wafty brown hairs settled on the snow." A nod to what AI cannot do - generate stories with emotional value. Stories and words that deserve to be read.
A big ‘thank you’ for this Stacy. These are funny, circuitous trails/paths we follow.
And sometimes we conclude right back where we began.
Jesse, I love the way you wove in the different life aspects as if it were all a "trail" to follow, often not knowing how deeply you might have to travel to reach some resolution. Loved it!
Bradley- Thank you; so glad you enjoyed it!
Really appreciate the bit about a trail vs a path and the quote you shared. This is a great way to explain it and very much resonates
Thank you, Jenny. That’s my favorite part too 😊
Thank you for reading and the comment. Yeah, the 4 plates is crushing and I am still doing it occasionally when I’m auto-pilot. I mentioned to another reader that perhaps moving would be the solution, but that would simply be avoidance.😂
Sometimes I feel like a moving to make it a clean break in effort to avoid the reminders. I think that would be what the professionals call “avoidance?” 😉
That’s a good pro tip: “leave table behind.” My initial inclination would be to bring it because I made it, but it would definitely be “triggering.”
Thanks, Baird. Yes, we’re kindred spirits in that way. Onward, indeed!