Talk to Strangers

There was a relentless optimism within Thomas. If my instinct was to point out the dirt, the problem, the thing getting in the way, then his was to find the gold, the solution, the thing that would keep us going.

You prioritizing yourself has, by the crazy workings of the world, helped me prioritize myself. Maybe sometimes it’s less about being able to help someone else put their oxygen mask on after your own and more about just showing them that it can be done.

He truly wouldn’t miss this for the world. Not for private boats with DJs or wild excursions in Myanmar. I was his friend and he was going to show up. Period.

Not in the, “I watch that show,” kind of way but in the, “I know everything about everyone in that show, quiz me,” kind of way.

That what life ultimately comes down to, as Joseph Campbell said, is following your bliss, whatever that looks like.

paused. I liked the idea, but I had a company, a part-time job, and worst of all, severe anxiety.

“Listen, there’s going to be lots of distractions as you guys become more successful. When there’s money and attention, things get weird. So, before all that happens, remember this: You’ve already won. You have your friends and you guys love each other, and let me tell you, in this world, that’s the rarest thing. No matter what happens, make sure y

I no longer belonged, and I badly wanted to. So I reluctantly left behind Matthieu, replacing him with Matt.

On my eighth birthday, I went from having a packed squad of little homies to two friends whose language I was just learning to speak. Although those two friends made it bearable, that day haunted me from then on.