4 Comments

I am so appreciative of your writings. Your concern about the timing with all that you are going through is mind boggling to me but I also do the same thing so I do understand. Pushing through numb fingers, not being able to write while sitting up, grief, so many things that you are going through but you are still concerned about others. Please please take care of yourself and your family and know that those of us that enjoy your beautiful words don’t mind about the timing or if things are out of order, we are just happy to read and that you share.

Expand full comment

That was an excellent video Bailey. Have you thought of using talk to text to manually repost your IG posts onto here? That would help your poor abused arms and hands take a lot less of the load, and perhaps keep them from hurting and going numb so badly. I understand goals not being able to be met, and holes in the linear plot line of our lives. Sometimes we simply do not have the spoons to post every minute detail. You shouldn't worry about how you, your shirt, your bed, or even your body looks. What really matters here is your words, and they are beautiful (just as you are imo). I'm so sorry to hear this story about Tiny Dancer. She sounds like she was an absolute sweetheart, and a person who could just naturally make people happy. Your writing is a beacon of light, and a source of inspiration in this world (just as you are) that I don't want to see you ever stop doing. Lastly I think you should do an occasional podcast just a light hearted addition to your stack. I would certainly watch it, and if it's done occasionally it doesn't detract from the written word, but rather it's the icing on the proverbial cake.

Expand full comment

THANK YOU for every word of this! I honestly have been trying to find ways to adapt so that I can write more and not have the pain that comes from either sitting to type (back and hip) or typing too much on my phone with my thumbs (hands and wrists)- I end up with my paws wrapped in heating pads at the end of every day, hehe. My biggest problem is honestly my own mind. I am SUCH a creature of habit that if I want to write something long- like a longer column or my books in the past or a serious email- I feel like my mind can't "think the same" without the old muscle memory? Does that make sense? BUT... I need to find a way, regardless. My hope is to very slowly give myself time to try new tactics when I am in a less stressed mood (so not when feeling like my brain is going to explode with impatience from words, haha)- and then try to get new muscle memory habits in my system so I can properly adapt and thus not have to give up writing in longer form. You know? I need to slowly find a way (new pathways, I guess, in my brain and my habits)

But also, THANK YOU for the kind words about a maybe Podcast because Ill be so honest: when I saw that Substack allows for Podcasts to be made by making a video and then it can take the audio from that and make a transcript: thus it would have a visual, a "traditional podcast" and a written transcript - and my hands wouldn't be tasked with those things - it's the first time in a long time where I thought "oh my gosh, a podcast could be accessible to Deaf people!" I feel so left out of Podcasts and wish I could listen to them, personally... but somehow Substack is providing really amazing technology and not uncharging like most places to do (which is gross. We shouldn't make people pay more just to include people who should be included from the get go: ugh!) So thank you! Once I saw the ability of the platform... the thought was definitely dancing around in my mind. I keep thinking 'What would be a fun concept ?" hmmmmmm

Expand full comment

A couple of thoughts. First on voice to text. When you feel ready to try that try flow of consciousness style. So you can get all the words you want to convey out. Then you can go back and edit what your brain tells you to edit for your more natural feeling to you prose form. By the way I loved that statement about you ending up with your paws wrapped in heating pads, and loved even more that you got a giggle out of that. This really does your dedication to writing and the written word. Second thought is on podcasts. This technology Substack has IS really genius to allow the deaf and hard of hearing (those with hearing loss?) to be included. There's transcription technology for YouTube also if you ever decide to do a dedicated podcast series, and want an even broader reach. I, however, don't know how that technology works so that would be an adventure in itself. I think an interesting first (and fitting) topic would be inclusion of the deaf community in visual presentations. I think you would have a great many interesting views and ideas on this.

Expand full comment