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Hey Dear Child:

As I am still feeling a bit flabbergasted/pissed/​unmoored/betrayed?/​let down/undermined, or some combination of these by the failure of a certain friend to show up today (there's a big WTF here), I share instead a letter to a new friend:

Most Honored and Respected [Sir]:¹

First, thanks so much for making the time. I really enjoyed our conversation.

Second, I'm wondering about your structures for improvement, mastery, creating out-sized results.

Shaq has his committee. Carnegie had a master mind, as popularized by Nathaniel Hill, a group of people up to big things meeting on a regular basis to invent big futures, share their wisdom, and draw strength from each other, as they likewise provide support for each other taking on the big games they did in life.

It's obvious you built a structure that works, you're grateful for the difference you get to make in the world, and you have a team that adores, supports, and takes part in the growth of your vision.

I'm wondering though if you have the chizuk (support basically, I'm assuming you're a member of the tribe) you see as appropriate to take your game up to the next level, if you even want to. If not, or you'd like to add something, I invite you to play with me, and we'll find three others who are up to big things and create our own master mind.

I can even designate a room for cigar smoking and whiskey drinking if you think it would add to the atmosphere. I haven't had a cigarette in four and a half years, but I'd be willing to go back if it would help create the atmosphere. One of the beers I have in my fridge practically screams for tobacco to accompany it.

Third, I'm wondering what you're looking for in a living space in Bridgeport. I've got some contacts in the area and would love to help you get set up. I'm thinking one of those big mansions must be just your style.

Last, I sent a friend in your direction. He's a pretty sharp management consultant type who has a passion for efficiency, but isn't particularly enthused about the use to which his talents are currently being put. He's also got a particular–to me seemingly utopian–vision, but it seems to me you are effecting a piece of it in the community you create.

I don't know where he'd fit, but sometimes the right person finds, maybe creates, maybe fills is a better word, an essential space within an organization, that no one before had even realized needed filling.

I suppose it's kind of like marriage. You expect one thing, and all sorts of other things get complete that you never knew were not.

Anyway, rather than continue to wax philosophical, I'll just re-task this as a post on my blog to my son.

Thank you again for your time, your consideration, your generosity, for the difference you make in the world. I'm sure you don't need to hear it from me, but I'll throw my voice in there anyway.

Happy Thanksgiving,

David R. Herz

¹I obviously know how important title is to you. There's a joke here; this gentleman doesn't go in for titles; I'd guess that he's of the mind that one's deeds should be more than sufficient to honor a person.

There's not a word yet for old friends who've just met.

I'm Going to go Back There Someday, The Muppet Movie.

I liked that line; so I share it.

I'm tired of people's stories. “It's hard to make friends when you are older.” “We're going through hard times.”

There's just no F'ing perspective.

And then I think I'm understanding insanity just maybe a little better. I've been possessed with this stupid truck that I walked away from. I had the money in my pocket, and let myself get too busy to close the deal. So I gave the money to Miriam instead, and now I'm just left with this truck sized hole that it feels will never get filled. I've found a hundred uses for it since I didn't buy it. I gave it a character, somehow animated it. Or maybe there is animation in things that I just have not been aware of.

I've seen the renovations people make to cars in memory of someone, like a piece of the person still lives there. There was a part of me that was like, “It's just a car.” I don't know what I think is or was there with this truck: It was old, but it was clearly loved. I want to say it somehow deserved me. And I gave up on it.

Or was it me I gave up on, again.

I hired someone on UpWork to transcribe my legal marketing videos. It was a good seven dollars—including a bonus—spent. Of course, I then spent two hours touching up my scripts so that they sound better, and more consistent, when I recut them. And I'm only four of ten videos in. I want to get them up and out in front of people. So this was a good push.

I think I want to buy a Rolls Royce. I was going to point you to a Quora post I'd read about a guy who bought one for 8500 bucks once, and found it changed how people related to him. And then I had a [broke] client comment about my car as a reflection on my success. Did I mention she is sixty, broke, and living on someone's couch since her recent kerfuffle with her “fiance.” So maybe I shouldn't take this one as my guide post, but the guy who bought one was looking for a decent sedan when he came across that Rolls. There's a sense in it, but I suppose I should start with having the rest of the pipeline down so that I can actually convert the folk who start by looking at my Rolls.

And I got a haircut yesterday, but I wasn't too happy about the price. They ask like thirty dollars here, which has me wanting to cut my own hair. But I went and spent anyway. And I was disappointed with the result at the time. I'm minding it less this morning.

And because I didn't know how to properly cite that song at the beginning, I went on a buying spree this morning. I bought the Chicago Manual of Style, Seventeenth Edition, and the Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation, and then I bought a bunch of copies of Atul Gawande's Being Mortal, and one or two of Jordan's Twelve Rules, and a few Unconditional Parenting.

I'm planning to get over to Lenny—my printer—soon, and figure a compliments of sticker for some of these would be a good piece of marketing, along with the videos, business cards, holiday letter, appropriate letterhead, etc. I just keep putting that off. Soon, and I know that's not in the calendar. So “this week” but I guess that's not in the calendar either. I hate calendars.

I have a busy day, and plan to be home for dinner. Maybe I'll write again later.

Hey there family,

I'm guessing this is my last post of the week. I'm up a bit late, wasting my time as usual.

I had an easy closing yesterday, I messed up a little, but fixable. And then I had something else to get done, and it took me until about an hour ago. So I figured I'd take a walk and drop a FedEx envelope at a drop box near here, only it wasn't. You see there's an East Main Street in town, and a Main Street, and they get mixed up. I think my phantom FedEx is on Main, not East Main. I was taken to a residential address.

I was under 230 again this yesterday morning.

I don't know what else to say but Shabbat Shalom; so I'll make a Skype call to do that.

I didn't even mention that I became a Steelers fan yesterday. You see there were two lighters available. There was a faux Zippo for five dollars and a real one for ten. The faux one said West Coast Choppers on it. The other, I bet you can guess. So yes, I paid double for a Zippo. Sometimes I just can't help myself.

Today was not like yesterday. I woke early enough, about 6:30, prayed, vacuumed out a closet that just stank of mold (probably still does), washed (at the sink; I've no shower at the office), had a call with my buddy Raneem, and started my day. I spoke to your mom, spoke to who I hope will be our new Israeli accountant, got on Delta's website about cancelling/changing my flight, and then it was time for my seminar, which I might have been a little more present for than last week, though it's hard to guage.

Yakov called. I looked up a law, spent some time with it. Called a few people back, and then went to learn with Rabbi Shemtov. I don't dig Tanya too much yet.

Then I came home, ate bagels and salmon, and bagels and peanut butter, then a half a cucumber, and came downstairs.

I'm watching a NetFlix thing (actually PBS I think, just carried by NetFlix) on Bob Dylan, so that was an hour as I went through my Facebook and LinkedIn feeds.

And now I'm here, less of a mood than yesterday, but tired. So good night.

And I almost forgot, I closed on Friday with Mr. Scheinberg; so I'm interviewing again. It should be fun.

As my friend Lauren puts it, I'm in a bit of a “mood.” She's right.

I had a banner day, really: I got a (legal) complaint out, signed a new client and filed papers to start his Workers' Compensation matter, I scheduled a closing, I had a hearing in another Workers' Compensation matter (that'll be worth two thousand dollars to me). I found my shoes. I bought a lighter, and an inverter, and a drill bit, and a microphone, and all of that was $100. I bought a better USB cable for my new microphone. I settled on a price for our building, contacted our lawyer about it, and arranged to get some paperwork over to the buyer (Thanks Sharleen). I prayed. I got some of the old two-sided tape off our sign out front, and hid some of the spots where I'd damaged the surface of the sign. I went through a WhatsApp chat in Hebrew.

Then I took a nap, and then I got on Jeff Pulver's call and just didn't want to be there. The topics were procrastination and some other inspirational sh..stuff.

I also answered a bunch of Quora questions because I didn't know what else to do.

And that's my day, more tomorrow.

I also got to talk to Yakov (one of the highlights of my day, no matter the conversation), and Sharleen, and Dahlia. And I read Lani's post to his aunt for her birthday.