Well done, Grace, this is so authentic and life-affirming. I think about this all the time — about the worlds within us and how we could spend a lifetime learning about ourselves and one another, yet we’re unable to understand anyone completely. We are each ineffable expanses, so why confine yourself to a resume?
By coincidence, here’s a note I wrote to myself earlier today: “Take pride in being illegible.”
I am a little late commenting, only making a comeback to Substack after moths of MIA.
What a fantastic read this was! The piece resonates with me on one too many levels, as I fear I am experiencing a 'mid' mid-life crisis whereby I am questioning my career choice and what I would like to do in life.
Beautiful, spot on. Thanks for writing and sharing as always, Grace. Needed to hear this one especially lately. It’s an idea with the rare effect of making me nod and whisper “yesss” while reading from top to bottom.
A perfect read for October-momento mori! As a stay at home mom who hasn’t touched her resume in about 5 years, this really hit home. In a world that measures worth/defines existence by career standards, when you don’t have a formal career...well you can feel a bit unmoored. And as someone who has always dreamed of being a writer, and is just starting to put some effort into making that dream a reality, it’s a good reminder that my life should not be defined by the success or failure of that venture
This was a lovely essay Grace. V happy to see you in my inbox.
I’ve thought often about how people’s identities (especially in cities) are reduced to their professional bios. You can see it in how they introduce themselves to strangers. The job title follows shortly after their name. I once quipped that it could be more efficient to just hand out printouts of your LinkedIn page.
Beautiful reflections on death. Especially on separating from “Grace as a writer”. It’s funny. I worked so hard and it took me so long to feel like I’m a writer yet I know I can’t let that consume my identity any more than “student” or “investment banker”.
Oh gosh, this was so lovely, Grace. My life has been a resume since I was old enough to understand accomplishment until recently. Some days it still is. Some days I care so much about how I am positioned as a professional that I neglect to honor how I am positioned as a sister, a friend, and a stranger. What I do find interesting is that we write our resumes but more often than not, someone else writes our eulogy. What a beautiful concept to be not how we want ourselves to perfectly appear but how the world holds us. Though we can't control others perception of us, this reminds me to live in service more than I do, to become more multifaceted in the ways I touch the world.
This was beautiful and thank you so much for sharing my work.
Powerful stuff Grace. “What matters in the face of death?” is such a powerful way to cut to the point and focus on what matters.
I feel like capturing the chaos and complexity of your life through writing is what the people at your funeral might be most interested in. Beyond the resume, what was really going on in their head? What were their multitudes?
Presence is a way to build relationships in real-time, but writing extends relationships through time. Even though my grandfather never met me, I know him best through the 3 chapters of his unfinished novel.
Wow this is really powerful. I feel so called out by leading a resume life. I realized too that accomplishments belong at obituaries, but eulogies are so much more personal and human. What a wild way to look at the world.
Well done, Grace, this is so authentic and life-affirming. I think about this all the time — about the worlds within us and how we could spend a lifetime learning about ourselves and one another, yet we’re unable to understand anyone completely. We are each ineffable expanses, so why confine yourself to a resume?
By coincidence, here’s a note I wrote to myself earlier today: “Take pride in being illegible.”
This is lovely, Grace
Hi Grace,
I am a little late commenting, only making a comeback to Substack after moths of MIA.
What a fantastic read this was! The piece resonates with me on one too many levels, as I fear I am experiencing a 'mid' mid-life crisis whereby I am questioning my career choice and what I would like to do in life.
Thank you for sharing!
Beautiful, spot on. Thanks for writing and sharing as always, Grace. Needed to hear this one especially lately. It’s an idea with the rare effect of making me nod and whisper “yesss” while reading from top to bottom.
A perfect read for October-momento mori! As a stay at home mom who hasn’t touched her resume in about 5 years, this really hit home. In a world that measures worth/defines existence by career standards, when you don’t have a formal career...well you can feel a bit unmoored. And as someone who has always dreamed of being a writer, and is just starting to put some effort into making that dream a reality, it’s a good reminder that my life should not be defined by the success or failure of that venture
This was a lovely essay Grace. V happy to see you in my inbox.
I’ve thought often about how people’s identities (especially in cities) are reduced to their professional bios. You can see it in how they introduce themselves to strangers. The job title follows shortly after their name. I once quipped that it could be more efficient to just hand out printouts of your LinkedIn page.
Beautiful reflections on death. Especially on separating from “Grace as a writer”. It’s funny. I worked so hard and it took me so long to feel like I’m a writer yet I know I can’t let that consume my identity any more than “student” or “investment banker”.
Lovely stuff :)
Oh gosh, this was so lovely, Grace. My life has been a resume since I was old enough to understand accomplishment until recently. Some days it still is. Some days I care so much about how I am positioned as a professional that I neglect to honor how I am positioned as a sister, a friend, and a stranger. What I do find interesting is that we write our resumes but more often than not, someone else writes our eulogy. What a beautiful concept to be not how we want ourselves to perfectly appear but how the world holds us. Though we can't control others perception of us, this reminds me to live in service more than I do, to become more multifaceted in the ways I touch the world.
This was beautiful and thank you so much for sharing my work.
Powerful stuff Grace. “What matters in the face of death?” is such a powerful way to cut to the point and focus on what matters.
I feel like capturing the chaos and complexity of your life through writing is what the people at your funeral might be most interested in. Beyond the resume, what was really going on in their head? What were their multitudes?
Presence is a way to build relationships in real-time, but writing extends relationships through time. Even though my grandfather never met me, I know him best through the 3 chapters of his unfinished novel.
Wow this is really powerful. I feel so called out by leading a resume life. I realized too that accomplishments belong at obituaries, but eulogies are so much more personal and human. What a wild way to look at the world.
This is why your writing is always so good and nourishing is that you put being a sentient person before being a writer.
This is beautiful Grace! Something I needed to hear