"Use All The Crayons!
Go Fund Me still accepting donations
Still three days left to support me and the underground launch of my new — how-to? — book, the one that originally was titled, “The Art of Living Suddenly: How to Deal with a Parkinson’s Disease (and other things that suck).”
It is now called “How to Deal with The Stuff That Sucks.”
That’s 17 words versus 8 and the new title requires no explanation. I think it has a good chance of breaking through the clutter to reach a large audience. Still, to cover my bases, I intend to hire to one of the area’s top PR firms, Headspace Media to help me secure positive attention.
My GoFundMe page has already received $4,076 from 18 donors. Still, we can do better. If you look forward to this newsletter and have yet to pay a subscription, please visit the page and give the tree a shake. Anything is appreciated.
Here’s the site. You have my permission to visit to make a quick donation. Then come right back here and we’ll go crazy. https://www.gofundme.com/f/chrisrodell
• “Reader letter of the Week” or as we’re calling it this week, “Is she or isn’t she a robot?”
It may surprise you but I get a lot of letters sort of like this. Enough so that my guard is always up. The flattery is usually a set-up for a scam that involves me paying some elusive Hollywood firm interested in turning my book into a motion picture. All for the low, low price of …
But this has no pitch. Could I have become so jaded I can no longer react with joyful gratitude over a true fan letter? So I sent her back a short note asking where she is, what she does, etc.
I’ll let you know if anything fun happens. It is a nice letter:
“I recently had the pleasure of reading The Last Baby Boomer, and I must say, your satirical take on aging and mortality is both humorous and thought-provoking. The concept of the last surviving Baby Boomer, 111-year-old Martin McCrae, being the centerpiece of a "ghoul pool" at a New York City museum is both original and engaging.
The way you explore society's fascination with death and the lengths people might go to profit from it is both entertaining and insightful. The dynamics between McCrae and the contestants, each hoping to witness his passing for a substantial reward, add depth to the narrative, highlighting themes of greed, empathy, and the human condition.
Your witty prose and the novel's unique premise kept me engaged from start to finish. It's a refreshing take on the aging process, reminding readers of the inevitability of death while encouraging a reflection on how we choose to live. The Last Baby Boomer is a testament to your creative storytelling and your ability to tackle profound topics with humor and grace.
Thank you for sharing this delightful and contemplative read. I look forward to exploring more of your work in the future.”
Today’s random fest …
The full scope of man’s well-intentioned folly will be revealed at the posthumous release of a selfie of a wildlife preservationist wearing a “BEAR WITH ME” T-shirt taken seconds before he is mauled by a Grizzly wearing an “I’M WITH STUPID” shirt.
• You can play a mean bluegrass banjo or country fiddle here on earth & it won't matter one bit. Once you get to heaven, everyone's in a soul band.
• It’s a brazen betrayal of the sturdy container's very existence but most recycling bins cannot be recycled.
• I once imagined my life would include an era of depravity where I reveled in the dark cravings of the sordid flesh. Alas, the time for such wanton behavior has passed. Today, my idea of depravity is eating ice cream before lunch in a room where my wife and kids can see me.
• Many devote their lives to the pursuit of riches and power. I'm on a quest to rid my life of envy. I fear I'll always be envious of the envy-free.
• Just once, I'd like to be in the clinic and hear the tech declare, "I'm here to draw blood!" have her don a beret, produce an easel, scribble furiously and hand me a paper with every spot covered in crimson red.
• I sometimes wonder if heaven is like "Fantasy Island" and God is like Mr. Roark. Then I wonder if the mere thought is sufficiently blasphemous to prevent my soul from ever finding out.
• When you order at the drive-thru do you make eye contact with the speaker like this disembodied voice will give you better service? Me? I flirt.
• I was deeply flattered the other day when my daughter, 19, asked me for some life advice but am self-aware enough to realize that if I was anyone else and saw her asking me for advice, I'd think, "What could she possibly hope to learn from that jackass?”
• As a student of history, it's my understanding that man has waged war over injustice, territory, greed, vengeance, pride, and even reasons as petty as national vanity. As a student of breakfast, I'm surprised man has never waged a war over bacon. I'd enlist.
• Quid pro quo is one thing for another. More alarming in a legal sense is eight things for another or the rare squid pro quo.
• I used to make prognostications but I was so wrong so often I predict it'll never happen again.
• I wonder where the strangers who appear in our dreams go when we're awake and if they sleep in that place and have dreams that include people like us.
• Those who say they've lost everything and have no where to go but up often ignore the depth of a grave.
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