Phillip Lombardino

doing fiction has reminded me that sometimes it’s the better choice for difficult Truths. Maybe the only choice

The more hours you’ve put into this chaotic business of living, the more you crave a quieter, more nurturing third thing, I think. This needn’t mean dull. The friends I have now, who’ve come all this distance, who are part of my aging plan, include all kinds of joyous goofballs and originals. There’s loads of open country between enervation and int... See more

If the heartbreak of midlife is realizing what you’ve lost—that sad inventory of dusty shelves—then the revelation is discovering that you can, with effort, get on with it and start enjoying what you have.

A writing example: when I look back in my notes I realize so much of what I write about today I was ruminating about 2-3 years ago. I always knew what I was going to say. I just didn’t have the tools, I didn’t have the maturity, I didn’t have the language or sensitivity to beauty to recognize what that was. So much of what I learned was latent, une... See more

home isn’t something you find or inherit. It’s something you build, piece by piece, when you stop chasing the next better version of your life.

One cannot teach this kind of thing. I can’t just tell you to stop chasing the next better version of your life, or pursuing the next girl, the better job, the bigger house—or perhaps digital nomading your w... See more

My favorite age was 50-65 or so, because I still had physical and mental strengths that were not so diminished. This was undoubtedly helped by having spent 20 years editing a series of fitness books—stretching, running, and weight lifting—and hanging out with world-class athletes. I was a competitive runner for over 20 years, did triathlons, paddle... See more