Hey Reader!

Late last night some kids knocked on my door. Like, after 10 pm?

It was a pretty loud RAP RAP RAP which startled me, but is honestly how most people knock. The doorbell has never worked, so that’s on me.

I opened the door, which in retrospect could have been a bad idea, I guess. But there was no one there. So I closed it. Then they threw a rock at it, which seemed unnecessarily mean.

So I yelled “Who’s there?” which, admittedly, was probably the reaction they were hoping for. While not scary, the situation was a bit unsettling.

My daughter, who has never backed down from a fight and is not above creating one where she thinks an injustice had been done, raced upstairs. We could hear the sound of running feet in the street, so she opened the door and started yelling.

We couldn’t see the kids, they’d disappeared into the darkness of the park across the street.

They were pretty feisty, yelling back, but it was clear that they were no threat at all.

The whole incident made me sort of nostalgic. It felt like something dumb teenage boys did back in the 70’s and 80’s, before you’d be likely to face a gun when hammering on a door after dark.

Truly, that kind of behavior is pretty idiotic; even here in liberal snowflakey Portland we hear gunshots going off late at night.

You never know what you’re going to get if you mess with people at bedtime.

Coincidentally, a man in Texas was arrested last night for shooting at a car full of teenagers who were doing the exact same thing at just about the same time.

Ding dong ditch is alive and well in the cities, apparently. Wonder if it’s trending on TikTok?

The Texas shooter was arrested, which surprised me. I figured that in Texas a man defending his castle would be lauded, not apprehended.

I guess the point is that while I thought the whole episode was strange, it didn't scare me. And is it weird that that feels comforting? So much of what is happening in the world feels threatening and this was just annoying.

Also, if you want to get my attention, here's a link! No need to spook me while I'm trying to relax.

My takeaway from the whole event? Mostly that I probably shouldn't answer the door after 10. And maybe it’s time to install a Ring.

It also made me realize that in this current era everything feels so FRAUGHT. The least little thing feels so potentially life-changing.

Which can easily lead to overthinking, which inevitably leads to paralysis.

Nothing feels throwaway anymore. And while I don’t want anyone tossing off junk and calling it good, neither do I want you to stress over each thing you put out in the world.

You should be able to make a post that gets zero likes and not feel deflated. And you should be willing to write an email that you deem only pretty good and still hit send.

You’re not Taylor Swift - you don’t need a billion streams to feel loved.

Nor do you need to be as effortlessly prolific; she’s a freak of nature that way. We can't compete, nor should we try.

Write your words, include a call to action, hit send. If you need help, I’m here for you! Just don’t knock on my door when I’m deep into The Gilded Age; soapy period dramas are how I unwind.

​Meet me in the daytime, for heaven’s sake. I’d love to chat with you about email and everything else.

xo, Julia

PS - Still unsure what to write about? Here are three ideas:

1. The thing you think you “should” be doing but refuse to do - in your business or in your life.
2. A childhood memory that still makes you mad - how did that experience change the way you move through the world?
3. A piece of art (of any kind) that feels like it was born from a spark of divine genius.

​The White Stripes know all about doorbells, and so does this email. Forward it to someone who’s not afraid to knock.

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