Sunday is shaping up to be an excellent morning to write. I must be in a certain mood to write these weeknotes. And the lazy coffee-fueled vibe that a Sunday offers is what I'm after, a sort of focused indifference.
I don't want to overthink the whole thing (tho I do), and I want them to be as close as possible to an unedited stream of consciousness (tho they aren't).
The past week
Yesterday (15 July) would have been my Dad's 76th birthday. And regardless that the date is etched in memory, it is one of the anniversaries that always bites me on my arse.
My arse was bit this year when I was in a car park waiting to pick up Leah. I glanced at the display, saw the date, and thought, 'fuck Tom, not again'. Right away, a wee bit of shame hit. How could I forget my Dad's birthday? The man I cared for during the last years of his life, the man whose memory ignited the deep burning embers of wanting to do something different with my life. This shame passes as it should. It's not essential. It's self-inflicted and serves no real purpose.
I'm 5 years older than my Dad when he died, but in my mind, he is still the fount of all knowledge. I still have the occasional conversation with him. He is like the safety valve when pressure mounts. He has answered many who, what, why, and when questions. He is the time buyer. He is the self-reflector. He is the good soul on my shoulder.
So, Dad, I'm sorry that I forgot your birthday (again), and I know you won't hold it against me, just like you never did when you were alive.
What I've read
Jack Garfinkel's piece on the pros and cons is a must-read for all content designers. The TLDR, use them, but don't get fixated by them!
I was doing random research on one of my favourite topics. I stumbled upon this slide deck from a presentation by Chris Atherton, made way back in 2016. As I flicked through, I tried to fill the gaps in what was said. I'm sure you'll be doing the same.
I got my first collection of Edwin Morgan's, the first modern Makar of Scotland, poetry. His writing is beautiful, and in my mission to get all content designers to read more poetry, you should buy a copy!
What I've heard
This week I had lunch with a pal called Iain. I hadn't seen him in years. We were trying to work out how long it was since we sat chatting, and it must be 8-10 years. A bloody embarrassment! Anyway, we are both huge fans of a band called Marillion, so when I got home from lunch, I put some on:
This morning, when writing this nonsense, I got a text from my pal Nate of a screenshot of what music he was listening to, with the follow-up 'Good Sunday songs', and I can't disagree:
That’s all
Have a great Sunday, and I will catch you all soon!