5 Quick Things #354 👟

learning to read, walk, live local, & tell good stories

Feb 07, 2025

Hey there,

I’m currently neck-deep in finalizing a book proposal for a manuscript I’m writing, which means I’m in deep-thinking mode. That, plus having a daughter abroad (which means longer one-off calls vs. shorter here-and-there calls with her), means a deeper dive into thoughts all together. I’ve also really ignored social media so far this year (yep, even the Notes here in Substack, which is rapidly becoming its own social media algorithm-fueled feed) — which all this means the collective sum is leading to deeper contemplation for me in these early 2025 weeks.

One byproduct? Lots and lots and lots of walking. As I type this, I’ve just come in from an 8,000-step neighborhood walk as I chatted with Tate who’s in Austria. Yesterday, I took a work call while I made laps around an old cemetery that’s about half a mile from our house. There’s something about walking that makes my brain come alive — it’s when I walk when I figure out my plot points, what it is I’m trying to say to my grownup kid, how to untangle my work conundrums, what’s going on with my life epiphanies in general. …Thank God, literally, for the gift of walking.

If you’re feeling stuck, in the doldrums, cabin fevered, or just hankering to fidget, consider a nice long walk today. I’m a big fan.

*Florence Walk*, by Vasily Surikov (1884) #

5 Quick Things ☕️

1. Yes and amen to every single one of these thirty-five steps to raising readers. Teaching little children to read can be a tedious phase of parenting (especially in homeschooling!), yes, but the reward pays off in dividends, and I’m happy to say that we have three nearly-grown kids who all love stories and can appreciate the fine craft of excellent storytelling. All thirty-five of these poitns were true in our household: “At some point children gather by osmosis—whether from school or pop culture—that books are uncool. Don’t wait for that to happen; begin funding the opposite sentiment years before its creeping parasite comes along. Make books fun, exciting, and happy.”
2. My daughter is turning TWENTY! next week (spoiler: it’ll show up as a theme in my letter to her next week), and I simply cannot believe that. I won’t harp on that right now, but in the spirit of thinking-back-to-what-we-did-when-they-were-younger: on their birthdays we still cover our kids’ bedroom doors with streamers while they’re sleeping, which means they have to walk through them that morning in celebratory (or annoyed exhaustion) fashion. Of course, the past few years we’ve been festooning their doors early that morning vs. the night before since these young adults officially go to bed later than us, but the spirit of the tradition remains. …Now that Tate’s away at college during her birthday, we’ve done it on her half-birthday during the summer. I love this silly little tradition we’ve kept! Make sure to come up with some of your own silly traditions, and don’t stop them just because they get big.
3. I haven’t finished listening to it yet, but so far I’m really enjoying this conversation between Dr. Scott Hahn and Jonathan Roumie (though — Aaah, where’s his beard?! Put it back!).
4. Subsidiarity is one of my favorite principles stemming from Catholic Social Teaching (it was my impetus for my 100-mile radius experiment a few years ago), and while it’s broader than mere economics, this is a good primer on what this concept means when it comes to our wallets and how it affects the cultures both in our homes and in our societies: “If Christians are to be a light in a world marked by material and spiritual poverty, they must reclaim the family as the heart of society. This begins with a renewed commitment to personal financial responsibility and a reorientation toward love and virtue.”
5. And finally… I’d love to find a new-to-us movie to watch this weekend — nothing hard-hitting or dark, but not necessarily a plaid-festooned Hallmark situation either. Action is fine, so long as it’s plot-heavy (think more Jason Bourne over Fast & Furious 217). Rom-com is great, too, so long as clothes stay on. Got any ideas? …If you got a suggestion, leave one in the comments!

Currently Reading, Watching, Listening 📻

The Broken Bells radio station

Quotable 💬

“Everything that needs to be said has already been said. But since no one was listening, everything must be said again.”

― André Gide

Earbuds or headphones: which do you prefer? 🎧

We’re a divided household over here, and I’ve come to the conclusion that even though this sort of technology is great, there really is no perfect solution. I’m Team Earbuds because 1. I sometimes listen to stuff in the shower, and 2. I sometimes listen to stuff as I fall asleep. But boy howdy are earbuds easy to lose. Ask me how I know.

(I’m curious what your “something else” is… I’m guessing maybe nothing?)

Earbuds: 58%
Headphones: 23%
Something else: 19%

Find next week’s poll here.

This Summer’s Pilgrimage ⛰️

I’m starting to think through some of what we’ll talk about this summer as we amble down the Rhine and take in all that we’ll see and do… I’ll be sharing with the pilgrims some of my accumulated wisdom about creating a Benedictine Rule of Life, and what it means to live according to what matters most to us, especially in a liturgical context. I’ve really come to love and lean into this wisdom from St. Francis de Sales: “Be who you are, and be that well,” and it animates and guides my personal process in living according to my Rule. I’m so grateful I have mine.

If you’d love to unpack what it might look like to live according to your own Rule of Life, as well as, you know, learn how to make cheese and cuckoo clocks, interact with the mystical tradition of St. Hildegard von Bingen, witness the beauty of fairytale German and French villages, and more, I’d love to have you join us! Our pilgrims end up becoming kindred spirits, so if God’s calling you to this trip, do respond. You won’t regret it, and you may make some lifelong friendships:

Learn about this summer's pilgrimage

Quick Links 🔗

📐Create your own Rule of Life
🎧 Listen to A Drink With a Friend
📖 Read my books
🛶 Join me along the Rhine River: Summer 2025!

Question(s) For You to Ponder… 🤔

What are you being called to say ‘no’ to? What are you being called to say ‘yes’ to?

Have a great weekend,

- Tsh

p.s. - My son wants us to install one of these in our not-quite 1,500-square-foot cottage. …I tell him I don’t want to give any of my future grandchildren nightmares.