Handwritten note rituals should be encouraged. I find both the thought process that goes into physical writing and the intentional penstrokes to be therapeutic, even at times when I get perfectionist and frustrated about it.
For my first order, and all future orders, I want to throw in a handwritten card with my logo stamped on it. I already had a stamp made from someone on Etsy. It works really well—I think they made it with a laser engraver or something.
And I had a plan for what I’d write the notes on. With a paper cutting device I got on eBay, I can make custom business cards with any material I can slip in and cut.
It has a hand-crank and everything. You just slip the right size paper in, pull the lever down completely, and it cuts a well-sized card with rounded corners.
Used a graham cracker box, recycling. Easier than buying card stock, trash aesthetic novelty. I find it resourceful and amusing.
However, I ran into an issue. I realized I don’t even have an ink pad for my stamp. So I drove around to different stores seeing if anyone had some. I checked Walmart, Dollar Tree, and a couple other stores.
Our town is ink-barren. Absolutely nowhere had ink pads. So, I wasted my time. When I checked at Printing Concepts, which used to Mandelbrok’s, they said the nearest would probably be Staples in Erie.
I hate that Staples is gone. Has been for so long. And I hate that all Joann’s stores closed. I know they had ink pads for sure. Inconvenient. I don’t want to order everything online.
When I got home, I recalled having some ink pads I used in the barn, but in these temperatures and with how long ago I bought those, would they be dried up?
Turns out it worked perfect, and I don’t know if that’s how it always works, but for distress oxide it seems to fare well when closed properly. Even in super low temperatures and sitting in a barn for months. Or years?
While I was in the barn, I sifted through some more clothes in storage bins I put out there, so I could wash and photograph more for sale.
Back inside my room, I got my pen out.
“THANK YOU SO MUCH, YOU ARE COOL AND I HOPE YOU ENJOY,” I wrote casually, but carefully enough to be legible.
Then, on a smaller separate card, I wrote, “MAY YOUR YEAR BE FULL OF NEW REALIZATIONS AND BLESSINGS.”
For some reason, I was compelled to go out of my way to mean it as I wrote. Like in my head, or heart. Have you ever exchanged a pleasantry or courtesy without truly even considering if it’s genuine? Or whether you desired it to be from the heart?
Well, I wanted to genuinely deliver my hopes and gratitude, so I made sure to experience it within first. And as I scribbled it out.
If you’re ever sending out a positive message, I recommend this: start with a small prayer of sorts. It made it feel much more real, more worth it. When you stop to make sure it’s true, I think that gives it more power somehow. Intention matters, the love behind it matters.
Part corny, but tons of people say things believing they mean it when they don’t, hoping to get to a certain end they see as justified. Usually by copying someone else or aligning with a false vision of righteousness instead of choosing to actively embody it with integrity.
And they miss the whole point by just focusing on that. I’d call it an ego idol. Sometimes fear. To be fair, I miss it often as well. Focus on facade over truth. Everybody’s stupid most of the time, and some more than others, but to no degree of significance that makes them unequal in fault of what’s really good.
Grabbed some little toy I thought I’d put in the bag, a little tomato bird or apple character in a spherical pod. Just decided I’d put these in as little bonuses. I remember enjoying when a seller slipped a Pokémon card into my order once.
Way back, I remember getting one of those Temu rewards things where they let you get a bunch of “free” items but really it’s a scam to get you to spend more and more. That might’ve been my first time interfacing with that rot.
It’s all a trick, and honestly I hate them. But that’s where I got a huge bag of the cheap Chinese pod-toys. Not total crap, I kind of liked a lot of them. Just can’t deny their origins. Or uselessness.
Have you ever opened that trash app? Instantly you’re spammed with prize wheels, discounts, and deals… unskippable all the way. Worst of it is it’s so deceptive, making it seem like you just get these things, prizes all around, stumbled upon gold.
Sometimes I nearly fall for it. Yeah, I’m either stupid or gullibly hopeful. Both a bit. In reality, they lie. You have to keep buying more items and meet certain thresholds of uselessness to get anything at all.
Before you know it, you’ve spent $50 you didn’t want to, and you don’t even have the items being sent that they seemingly promised. The ones you ACTUALLY wanted. They process orders for the items that seeeeem to point toward “buy these, then you’ll get those prize items.” And you’ve successfully supported the wonderful sweatshop, hell-factory conditions of that evil shithole without getting what you wanted, so you’re pressured into getting more.
Uh, no just kidding. I meant to say… what a steal :))) Once you realize you’re tricked, don’t hesitate to head to your orders tab and cancel. You’ll get a swift refund. That’s what I did.
After I wrote my notes and got the package to the post office, I updated the buyer and that’s one thing off my list.
Later on in the day, Bill messages me. He shared a new reel he made of him doing some freestyle rap, requesting to make it viral.
“Make it viral. Please and thanks,” he said.
After I watch through the video, I’m pleased, repost, and message back.
“Reposted bro.”
He’s letting out an artful expression of the trauma inflicted from Burt stealing his girl. Guessing he sent it to multiple people, just trying to blow up or something. Doing his public relations.
He messages me a bit later, expressing appreciation and love, ruminating on dealing with it “ill will” style the past few days. And I suggest he deals with it in whatever way is most freeing.
Small interaction moments like these come up and I’m reminded of the world I’d chosen to involve myself in online. By editing those videos for Burt and getting invested in all the characters joining the fray.
And I don’t know if I want to be reminded, or to forget. Rejoin or eject completely. My enjoyment of it mostly ceased, but sometimes intrigue returns in ways I don’t expect.
Not much later, Riley messages me saying she canceled a date with this guy she was getting a weird vibe from. She was uncomfortable and overall suspicious but was trying to ignore the whisper. She had assumed maybe her defenses were to high, too unreasonable and unfair.
When we talked about it before, I thought she should just abandon it, sounded too annoying. What bothered my most was his reaction to her expressing her comfort level with certain date locations.
“You don’t need to worry, I don’t bite.”
Like, you don’t have to be afraid of me. Who feels the need to say that? Just can’t imagine a scenario where I’d ever say that to someone for anything other than a joke.
It’s just a weird way to phrase it, and makes you think… do you bite? Would you do something wrong? She had that same thought. Maybe we’re both paranoid or overthinking it.
Anyway, later on in the night we went to Timbercreek for dinner for dad’s birthday. He didn’t like his steak, it wasn’t made very well. Overcooked. I got a lamb gyro, and it was fine. Just overfilled, so I had to empty it out as I ate it.
Seriously, I don’t like it there at all. Well, it’s alright. Service wise. But there’s something about how they cook all their food that makes me sick and feeling straight-up drugged every single time. I do not like eating places that make me feel poisoned and sluggish afterward.
My guess is seed oil. Or it’s dirty? Cleanliness is harder for me to question because it’s a clean atmosphere and interior, high-end sort of look.
We headed home for cake and presents, and I just handed him the cord bundling gift I got him from Target, I really don’t care for the traditional wrapping mystery. Unless it helps with organization, like giving out a bunch of gifts at Christmas.
I’m implanting instant gratification associations. When they know I have a gift, they’ll be more excited because they get an instant dopamine hit. Or would it have the opposite effect of less excitement?
While we sit around the dining table watching him open the rest of his gifts, mom’s serving cake and ice cream. She made the cake herself, and it’s really good. Riley is on FaceTime.
I’ve got my Cybershot camera out, and I’m taking photos of everyone. Along with the cake, Lucy and Lottie crawling under the table, all that.
With that all finished up, we head downstairs and play Mario Kart. We start with Mario Kart 8 DLX on the Switch, but then swap over to Mario Kart Wii. And on Mario Kart Wii, we’re all really bad. Way worse than I ever remember being before.
I forgot I’d installed Retro Rewind a long time ago, some early-on version. From what I’ve seen, it’s way better with far more tracks to play now. And updating it wasn’t working.
So I don’t know if CPUs were made more difficult in the mod or what, but we were getting destroyed. We were all somewhat relearning the controls, so that was part of the issue. My Wii-chucking needs a refresher for sure. Used to grind so hard… 🙁
Yet, despite how bad I am, it serves as a reminder of how much I actually love that game, and I’m considering getting into it again.
Until the next one, hope you live well and have new realizations too.
-Liam A. Reese
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