TheListServe Blog

The drive from Seattle to my home on the border of Idaho takes four and half hours. I've made that trip nearly 60 times in my life. It is numbing driving through monotonous swaths of field and desert yet there is ample time to think. One's mind opens like the sky, but somehow I end up thinking about mundane things: the grading I needed to do, the crap screenplay I'll never write, how I forgot to clean the litter box before I left for vacation. Never anything profound or life-affirming. A few years ago, traveling home with my family, we were the second to arrive at an accident. Law, I believe, mandates we must stop. I asked my family to stay put as I bolted from the car. I was going to show my mettle. I was going to be a hero. Surveying the scene, I noticed the most damaged vehicle belonged to a family with two daughters not unlike my own and my world changed. As I neared the car, time slowed. The first child - young, maybe 4 or 5 - thrown from the car and in shock, sat on ...

An appeal to your senses – if you have some time to follow a stranger's recommendations, here's what I'd suggest: HEAR: - If you have less than 5 minutes, listen to James Blake's new single "Retrograde" because it's phenomenal. - If you have less than 20 minutes, search out the Love Club EP by Lorde. She's a 16-year-old from New Zealand and it's awesome pop stuff. Free on Soundcloud. - If you have less than an hour, listen to Paul Simon's 'Graceland,' it's the best album ever made. - If you have less than two hours, listen to Nicolas Jaar's Essential Mix. It's beautiful, classical stuff. Also free on Soundcloud; go for the Tong-less version. - If you have a few hours, go through Sam Cooke's discography. Make sure to stop by the Harlem Club. All Sam goes best with a Sunday morning and a mug of coffee. SEE: - If you're not watching Bob's Burgers, you totally should. Same with Archer. Plus Breaking Bad and Gam...

Until recently, I was floundering. For years, my life focused on becoming a professor and finding someone to spend my life with, and neither of those was working out. I applied for jobs, considered an MBA, almost moved to China, and read. Then I met Michael playing soccer. Somehow he saw past the shell I’d become. He dated me for five months until I made the conscientious decision to love him and really started dating him back. I finally found a job at a startup in San Francisco. The pay was so lousy that I had to stay in a relative’s basement while the job killed me slowly. A book made me realize that I’m an introvert, so I decided to talk to my boss the next day about making some changes. On the way to work, with a spring in my step, I broke my foot. Working from home, I started opening tabs about learning technical skills. On the deadline for a school that trains women to become web developers/software engineers in ten weeks, I sent in a rather cursory application, though I d...

I can't believe it's finally my turn to be on The Listserve. It's almost frightening thinking that your email will go out to the significantly large number of people who are already on this list. Some have already written while others are waiting their turn, reading each email for inspiration in preparation for when their turn will also arrive. So that begs the question...what do I write about? What's going to make an impact on somebody's life? It's a question I often ask myself when I'm blogging (reallifehappens (dot) tumblr (dot) com) and most often times either words of advice or quotes come to mind. With that being said, here are some quotes and advice that will hopefully impact someone reading this: 1. "Believe you'll achieve, doubt you'll go without." A simple, yet extremely powerful statement. Believe in yourself, even if nobody else does. 2. "All around the world we are gazing skyward waiting for God, never realizing that G...

Hi! I guess I am supposed to write you a long e-mail filled with deep thoughts on life. I cannot do that. I am not old and I am not wise. Yesterday I (accidentally) set fire to a candy floss machine. My sister, however, is very wise (and very old). She recently launched a website where "life coaches help you reach your goals and fulfill your true potential". Go google InvivoPlay. Still here? Okay. I just realized glasses are made of glass and that is why they are called glasses. Now I realized both glasses and glasses are made of glass. What if glasses are really made of glasses? Ice cream is called ice cream because it is made out of ice cream. Here's my favourite Knock-knock joke: - Knock knock - Who's there? - You know! - You know who? - Yes! Avada kedavra! I want more friends. Let's be friends? Good. Good. Good. Good bye. Erika dogonwheels[AT]hotmail.co.uk

Twelve years ago my best friend and I (18 and 19 years old) planned a road trip from Fort Lauderdale to Portland, Maine in her deceased grandfather’s old car. We bought plane tickets to Florida and gave ourselves a week to enjoy the drive back. It was exciting. Before even leaving Fort Lauderdale we had to stop and replace the aged windshield wipers. Our speedy problem solving perhaps gave us a false sense of confidence and ability upon embarking on our first road trip. In theory, flying to Florida to drive a car to Maine does not seem like a unique or major challenge. At least, it shouldn’t. Windshield wipers fixed, we merged onto the clear-cut path up I-95 that would take us directly home. Open windows, feet on the dash – we were free! As I attempted to rig a Discman and speakers in the glove compartment, the car, so old that it simply provided an AM/FM radio for listening entertainment, began to shudder. And shake. And rattle. We looked at each other – something wasn’t right. “All w...

I didn't go to church until I was in college. Spirituality was not really a part of my life, nor did I feel like it was missing. But I am a generally curious person, so in college I tried a Catholic mass or two, and then a friend took me to the Unitarian Church. I have found my sporadic visits to UU Churches fulfilling and thought-provoking. In fact, a few services-- in particular ones about the first principle of Unitarianism-- have moved me to tears (which was hella embarrassing, crying in public). The first principle simply states that 'We, the member congregations of the UUA, covenant to affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person.' This is, really, a very strong covenant. People do many beautiful things, but damned if we don't also do a ton of terrible things. Promoting the inherent worth and dignity of people who we like is easy, but what about those who have done, and continue to do, things we find morally repugnant? One thing very difficult...

I live in a country where entire sections of bookstores are dedicated to advice or self-improvement. Hell, in the late 90s we had a Billboard hit that was just an inspirational high-school graduation speech over a drum beat. So there is nothing I can say here that hasn't already been said. But, the winter wind howling outside my windows reminds me of one of my favorite poems, so I'll leave you with that. Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost First published in New Hampshire in 1923 Whose woods these are I think I know. His house is in the village, though; He will not see me stopping here To watch his woods fill up with snow. My little horse must think it's queer To stop without a farmhouse near Between the woods and frozen lake The darkest evening of the year. He gives his harness bells a shake To ask if there's some mistake. The only other sound's the sweep Of easy wind and downy flake. The woods are lovely, dark, and deep, But I have promises to ...

Hello all. Since I'm relatively new to The Listserve, I certainly didn't expect to win the lottery so soon! It's a wonderful surprise. I must say I love the concept behind The Listserve- using technology to keep us connected across the world, despite locations, economic status, gender, race. I love getting Listserve messages because I feel like I'm getting to hear bits of wisdom from all kinds of different people who have had many years of experience on me. It's amazing. My message is relatively short since I'm still somewhat new to this world myself. I'm graduating from the University of Arizona in May, and I'll be stepping out into the huge, unknown adult world. I'm planning on entering the field of museums, a pretty unpopular career choice among my peers. My parents tell me I'm gonna have to marry rich just to have a comfortable life, and my friends say I'm gonna end up being a teacher. But none of that matters to me. Museums might seem bo...

Let's talk about immigration. To be honest I think about it almost every day. Ok, not every day but this theme appears in my head from time to time. And I really do not know why exactly I want to immigrate to another country. Maybe I'm bored of my current location? I don't know. Maybe I don't like my country? I can't tell you this too. For me it looks like a challenge. You're in foreign country, you know nobody, you're pretty scared. You have to speak on foreign language. You're nervous all days long for the first time. So does it worth it? Please share you stiry with me if you have such experience. Cheers! Vasiliy Ermolovich younash[AT]gmail.com Minsk, Belarus

I'm dragging myself through my first post-show morning with a baby so you'll have to bear with me. Man, how my life has changed. Let me explain. I've been involved with a local community theatre group, Shakespeare in the Park, for several years now. We put on one show a year, in summertime, at our beautiful Queen's Park here in Invercargill, a little wind-and-rain swept town at the bottom of the world. In past seasons I've been an actor, and a party person. Mainly a party person. After rehearsals and every show I would have been back at the pub with the cast and crew, laughing over things that went wrong, being triumphant over things that went right, dragging my sorry ass in to work at the local newspaper the next day. This year it's all so different. I've got a wee boy, a rambunctious little guy who doesn't like sleeping or sitting still. I'm a stay-at-home mum, spending my time reading "The Mole who Knew It Wasn't Any Of His Business"...

I adore illustrations. I am addicted to self help. I love that every day, I get the chance to create the life I want – a life of unlimited possibilities. One day (way too long ago), I had a BIG IDEA. What if I combined the things I love into an online destination that I could experience daily to lift my spirits (ahhhhhh)… Inspire me (Yes, please! I would like that)… Remind me of my blessings (my children, my husband, my friends and my well worn home)… Instill gratitude in my life. I envisioned delicious illustrations …self improvement … daily interaction! Maybe this could help others too! A place with a purpose… What a BIG IDEA. I adored my BIG IDEA. Yet, as much as I loved it, I didn’t act on it. My BIG IDEA waited for me. I had a family to raise. A marriage, friends, a home and my own existing (and lovely!) growing business. On vacations I would take out my BIG IDEA and play with it. Think about it. Plan. Daydream. Years went by. I signed up for The ListServe. “Ooooh! If I ever get p...

“U Make Me Want To Drink Bleach” by Easyworld reminds me of that jerk Simon I dated in London in 2002. My friends all told me he was an asshat, but boy did I fall for his posh accent and effort hair. When he introduced me to his favorite band-of-the-moment, Easyworld, I immediately adopted it as my favorite band-of-the moment. A week later, we’re stood outside a venue where they’re playing, and I’m begging passersby for tickets to the sold-out show. Romantic, right? After listening to my sob story, their manager comped us a pair of tickets. Inside the venue, rather than “thanks, Eric!” Simon just looked up and told me, “I’ll take a Jack and Coke”. I dumped him before the encore. -- I was an exchange student to Brandenburg, Germany in 1993. Arriving at the train station, I was picked up by a somewhat radical punk-rock-looking loving-our-newfound-Western-freedoms host family with whom I couldn’t yet communicate with due to language barriers. 15yo me (fresh from Indiana) was absol...

When I tell people what I do, they very often say ‘Oh I always wanted to learn that!’ So, I tell them what I am going to tell you. Do it. I am a Sign Language Interpreter. I live in the UK so I use BSL (British Sign Language) where you are, you will have your own Sign Language too. My hobby, became my job and I am so lucky that my job is something I love and enjoy almost everyday. I am incredibly privileged in that I get to be involved in the most intimate of situations in people’s lives, along with the more everyday stuff. If you can imagine your own life, and all that you do, if you are Deaf or will be meeting a Deaf person, you may have someone like me there too. I meet new people all the time, and no day is the same. I couldn’t cope with a normal 9-5! I have made great friends, and learned so much over the years thanks to the varied situations I find myself in. I have completed numerous courses (without having to do the course work/exams, and of course without gaining the actual q...

Never Have I Ever Have you ever held the hand of a homeless person? I have. It was dirty, bruised, and scarred. But it gripped like any other hand, Reaching out to be acknowledged And holding on dearly to a momentary connection. And it felt good To not be invisible To not be alone! Have you ever witnessed a hate crime? I have. It strikes you down, paralyzes you, and swallows you whole. But it forces you to shed your naivety, Arming you with a new sense of purpose: A desire to look never again into bruised eyes And utter the lie "it's okay." Because it's not. Never have I ever forgotten That the depth and breadth of humanity are infinite, Extending in all directions. And never will I ever forget That we must live through it all; We must live for it all. Cory Johnson cajohnson414[AT]gmail.com Miami, FL

I received the notice that I won The Listserve lottery yesterday morning. I wondered what I would write about all day, but today I got my answer. First, I'd like to say that I am 39 years old. Really. I am not the most successful person, but I feel very lucky. My life did not turn out like I thought it would. I had bigger dreams and plans. But life got in the way....... I am what most in the U.S. consider a 'red neck'. My husband works in the oilfield. He comes home dirty. I hope that his job is limited as we move towards other energy sources. I work as an office manager of a small newspaper that is devoted to ads. It is a limited job due to the Internet. Most people assume we are small minded bigots, in a backward rural community. Those people would be wrong. I have found that deep down all people want the same things, no matter what color, nationality, religion, or upbringing. Some people are more aggressive about getting what they want. Some are happy with less. Some stu...

Well this was unexpected. I am fairly new to The Listserve, and thought this honor would be bestowed upon me at a latter point. To be quite honest my first reaction was something like 'NOOO!!!!' Feeling unprepared, feeling unsure as to what I could add to a community of people who at times can be both inspirational and puzzling. But I guess this is an overarching theme in life for me at this point in time, uncertainty. I have been waiting for signs as to what is the right path in life for me. I have been sitting in wait for quite some time now; I would say at least 6 months and have been stuck while watching life happen all around me. So Listserve community, I think I will take my prize and look for some inspiration from the group. What have you done when the right answers have not been quite so clear, but the weight of the decision was clearly dragging you to the lowest you can be? What do you do when everything that inspired you has lost its luster? What do you do when you ju...

It's interesting that this lottery email found me today, this minute, at this time in my life. Isn't that always the case? Do you ever have the overwhelming feeling that picking just one “favorite” is ridiculous? I always had a weird jealousy of people who could pick a favorite color, and it would be their favorite for their entire lives. Buddy, give me the rainbow. There are so many beautiful colors in this world, how could anyone pick just ONE?! My favorite colors have always shifted during different stages of my life. During a particularly rebellious phase, it was always shades of blue, because I didn’t want to be a girly-girl and was in a heavy tomboy phase (boys are blue, and girls are pink!). Going through several depressed years, it was all kinds of grey, then black. Anxiety has always drawn me to oranges; emerging from the depression, I found hope and fell in love with yellow. When harder times hit, I found my favorites to be pastel yellows and lavendars, offset with st...

A hundred years ago the mail carriers working out of New York's main Post Office made nine deliveries a day, six days a week. Nearly three thousand opportunities each year for something unexpected to make its way into your mailbox. Twenty years ago I was active in some Mail Art circles. I have hundreds of things sent to me from around the world, and others probably still have some of what I sent (I recently learned that the MOMA library actually does). But I gradually moved on to other things. Six months from now the United States Postal Service will stop delivering mail on Saturdays, dropping to five deliveries each week, and it's difficult to find anyone who cares. Even I don't really care. There's rarely anything in the mail that's worth opening. So I'll give my old friend postal mail one last hurrah, with an offer to you: reply to this message with your postal address -- PO Box, office, home, I couldn't care less -- and I'll send you something in the...

I've been thinking this through for the past day or so. I have a lot of questions I'd love to ask, or answers I'd love to hear. Or, maybe I could tell a story. Something inspiring. I think what I want to know...is something that I don't already know. So, Listserve, tell me something I don't know. Tell me something unexpected. What is something unexpected, that you know, that I don't know? Maybe it's a fact, maybe it's a story, maybe it's your biggest fear. xo Kate kaitlin.hackenberg[AT]gmail.com New York, NY

The first time I left home I was 21, the second 23, the third 26, and this last time 28. This last time was the hardest. Home keeps drawing me back, and I am so lucky that it does. Part of me wants to say that the next time I come home, I'll be back to stay, but what I've learned in this life is that "the only certainty is uncertainty." So the best I can do in this uncertain life is to make sure I'm healthy and fit to live it - in my heart, body, mind, and spirit. Perhaps you'll find my checklist helpful -- it's quite simple but often that's all we need: 1. I love generously -- without my friends and family I would be miserable. I try to make sure they know how much I care. 2. I exercise regularly -- my immune system is stronger for it. 3. I eat well -- that mostly means less sugar. I enjoy my food. Tangent -- check out a dear friend's new blog about food and home by visiting sweetpotatoandbacon *dot* com. 4. I sleep, and I savor it -- in bed by 11...

Let's talk about entertainment. Specifically self-entertainment. No, not that. I mean hobbies. Mine is pen spinning. You may have seen people doing it or even know a few tricks yourself. The range of tricks you can do with a simple pen is amazing. If you want to see videos, there's plenty on YouTube and you should look up 'vicgotgame', one of the best pen spinners in the world. If you think it's awesome and want to find out more you can google "upsb" which stands for Universal Pen Spinning Board. Here's a few reasons why you should do it: - You can do it pretty much anywhere. All you need is a pen. - It is fun. Learning new tricks and mastering them is very satisfying. - When you start 'Modding' you'll have the coolest pens among your friends. - Pen spinning will improve your finger dexterity and hand eye coordination. Bonus especially after all the fun you'll be having. - Your coolness will increase by a factor of 10,000. (According to...

What can one say to an audience of 21,000+ people without coming off as cliché and dull? Should I talk about the experiences of moving to a new country as a child; or about some meaningful experience that just cannot be put to words; or about my postcard collecting hobby; or about how I’m stuck at a crossroads, unsure of my future directions? I want to talk about story telling. I’m not a story teller by any means; I am horrible at timing my stories, choosing the right words, or building up the suspension (so bare with me). Nevertheless I love stories. I love movies, television series, short stories, you name it. Transporting myself from the problems of the real world and into a world of possibilities, where I can be the princess from the Valley of the Wind whose courageous actions saves the earth from the destruction of man or the witty companion to a mad man with a blue box. In the world of stories, I can be whoever and wherever I want; where the only restriction is my mind. Stories a...

Upon selection I began to research what I wanted to say. I stumbled across the initial article that alerted me to the existence of The Listserve. This reminder of the lucky circumstance in which I discovered Listserve reminded me of the joy of sharing something of interest with those around me. I reread my favourite entries; including the first one I received by Tim Krins. His article was a letter thanking his teachers who shared their passions for life. As a teacher I felt it rather fortuitous to receive this as my first post, especially as it arrived at the end of a busy day. It was something that encouraged me to continue to read. I watched the websites video and completed the sentences. It helped me think of some ideas - Sometimes I wonder… how far we make our own luck. Can life be understood as a serious of lucky circumstances, or do the lucky circumstances come to those who look for them - I noticed recently that… starting the day with a positive thought gives a different o...

Dear all you people: Do any of you happen to own, or know somebody who owns, a print of Philippe Halsman's 1955 photograph of Richard Nixon jumping? If so, I would like to buy that print from you, or from that person you know. Frankly, if you have any cool Nixon swag, email me. (Nixon is fascinating to me because he proved that being enormously powerful and being a cripplingly emotionally-flawed person are not mutually exclusive.) I realize that using this platform to hunt for political collectibles is an arguably selfish act. And I don't have any meaningful life advice to offer total strangers. I don't know any of you people. Maybe you shouldn't be reaching for the stars. Who knows? It's not really any of my business anyway. But perhaps you'll be less mad at me for wasting your time and dismissing well-intentioned affirmations after you've had some soup. (Based, I admit with some shame, on an Emeril Lagasse recipe.) 1. Heat some olive oil in a big po...

My 30th birthday is on the horizon and I have resolved that I will never figure this life/ being adult shit out. Life is random and I won't pretend to know a lot because I don't. As soon as I've got it figure out, I get thrown another gosh darn curve ball. Life is often challenging and my mess is my ministry, so I am mostly grateful that I am here to share what I've learned to be valuable with all of you. Here are some things I try to keep in mind every day: Don't offer support or advice if you think it gives you stock in someone's decision making. Your opinion is not an absolute truth, it's just your truth. Don't have too many opinions about other people's relationships - Especially ones of a romantic nature. If you do, keep it to yourself. Often people really want someone to listen instead of receiving advice. We often know the solution to our own problems. Make sure the people love know they are invaluable to you. Sho...

You know how a mom kangaroo keeps its young from pooping in its pouch? It takes the joey out and licks its butt so it poops outside the pouch. Actually true. Anyways, now that I’ve got your attention, I’m Brian and I’m full of useless knowledge. Sadly, this trove of odd conversation starters (or enders) has never scored me a free pitcher or pint at a local trivia night. I’ve had a manic start this year, so instead of getting all downer with you guys, I’d like to share a story that makes me giggle. Looking back, this tale technically could be considered my first foray into marketing! "The Time Dazzle Got a Lot of Solicitous Phone Calls:" It was about 3am on a school night, and I was living at 2209 Van Ness. A grand old dame of San Francisco’s “Gold Coast,” it was bought by the Academy of Art for student housing, which included myself. This was probably a low point in the poor domicile’s existence. There was total irreverence to the architectural value (truly beautiful) and ...

Beyond this message a challenge awaits; In the listserve, no links are allowed, what a cruel fate! The first clue must be deciphered by ROT 8. . Let me know and just email if your brain needs a spark Your first clue is just after this punctuation mark / dsoqwj vwxwfvafy lge jgtafkgf af lg cadd s egucafytajv Listserve Puzzle listservepuzzle[AT]gmail.com