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Veronica's past self asks for help

Hello from my past self!

Thank you so much for being here with me. I appreciate that you make time in your life for these thoughts on understanding.

I've been sending Finding Out each week for 10 weeks now. I write and edit and take photos and post and read and listen so that I can keep writing and editing.

From the beginning of this project, I've been careful to stick to only working during my five week days, keeping weekends and evenings clear, with only a few exceptions. Whenever I have worked at a company, I encourage my peers to take care of themselves, so I figure I’d better do it when I’m not working for a company, too.

But even with good workday hygiene, we humans still need longer breaks. A couple weeks ago, I finally listened to what I often tell others, and decided to plan some time away from working on the newsletter. If I am successful, you'll have gotten today's issue after six days of me not reading or thinking or writing for Finding Out, with another four to go. I expect it’ll cross my mind occasionally—understanding is never far from my mind, but I’m sure going to try. I hope you're making space for breaks like these for yourself, too.

So, in keeping with the theme of taking care of myself this week, it seems like a good time to ask for help.

Could you tell one person about this newsletter?

Here's something I haven't said in the newsletter yet: right now, this project is an investment for me. I'm living on and contributing to my family finances from money I saved in case I might ever want to take on a project of my own instead of working for a company or clients. Late last fall, in the middle (or at least of what I hope is the middle) of the pandemic, I realized that now (then) was the “in case” I had been waiting for.

I'm been writing Finding Out with the hope that it will grow so I can keep learning and sharing and growing along with you all. Don't worry, I'm not asking for money yet! These are early, speculative days. The first step, however, to make this project sustainable is to reach more people, so that when I someday do offer ways for folks to financially support it, some of them will take me up on it.

To whom and how you choose to tell someone depends, I think, on how Finding Out has fit in your life. Perhaps you've looked forward to the connection of a real voice greeting you each Thursday afternoon. Perhaps a story helped you take on a different perspective for your work, or perhaps my shared self-doubt helped you be more tender when you have felt unsure of yourself.

If you've found value here, it'd help me if you told someone else. Sharing doesn't have to be on social media (although that would be great, too!); perhaps you might forward a past issue to someone who you think would appreciate it. Or you could go Car Talk style and write "findingout.substack.com" on the back of a $100 bill and send that to a friend. Wait… did I get that right?

In any case, if you choose, there are lots of ways to share Finding Out, and it'd mean a lot to me if you did.