22 Comments
User's avatar
Heath Oldenberg's avatar

Feeling very middle right now, too. Raised 2 great kids who are off having their own adventures. My 'next adventure' went off the rails, caught fire. And somewhere I started realizing I haven't been ME in years, having given everything to raising kids and keeping a 'good job' to pay for it. Now can you please tell me where the Em-Dash is on my keyboard? I don't want to ask Chat-GPT...

Expand full comment
Dre Beltrami's avatar

This is YOUR TIME, dude. You did the kid raising, the roof over your head providing, the sacrificing your needs... now it's time to feed your soul every damn snack it wants.

I say we make the middle the new black. It's sliming. It's stretchy. It's breathable. 😁

Bring on the mess...

Expand full comment
Heath Oldenberg's avatar

lol, slimming? Sliming is more situational, not everyone is into it…. :)

Expand full comment
Dre Beltrami's avatar

That pesky 2nd "m" gets me every time. I should just try narrating. 😂

Expand full comment
Vova Zakharov's avatar

Mac? Option+Shift+Minus

Expand full comment
Heath Oldenberg's avatar

Thank you for trying, not Mac, sadly. Tried some ctrl/alt/shift/- combinations, no luck so far.

Expand full comment
Vova Zakharov's avatar

Ah, ok. Windows has no such hotkey, but you can try this free auto replacer app, I’d been using it for years before I switched to Mac: https://www.phraseexpress.com/

Expand full comment
Heath Oldenberg's avatar

OR, reply on my phone! Em—dashing with ease!!! Thanks for helping all the Em—dash deprived among us!!!

Expand full comment
Dre Beltrami's avatar

Microsoft should be fined for not making them easier!! 🖕

Expand full comment
Vova Zakharov's avatar

All hail the —

Expand full comment
Lisa Bolin 👑's avatar

You know I’m middle finger! Loving this in all the burning flucking shit that’s life right now. It’s 4.42 and I’ve been awake for hours and now I’m rambling because I’m delerious 🙃 but middle finger shit is great 😜

Expand full comment
Dre Beltrami's avatar

Both of mine are perpetually STIFF + in a saluting position. 😂 I hope you got some goddamn sleep, gurl!!

Expand full comment
Chaundra's avatar

Spoon full of sugar! Thank you! ✔️and yes please.

Expand full comment
Dre Beltrami's avatar

I'll give ya a whole barrel of that shit, sweetie! 😆🫶

Expand full comment
Leslie Senevey's avatar

I think life is always all about becoming. We never finish until we're actually finished. So right now you're just lifing hard. The liminal life spaces are always difficult. Growing pains and all that. You got this.

Expand full comment
Dre Beltrami's avatar

You're sooo sweet to say that... and absolutely right! I've really been trust-falling into the truth that ALL of this (life, identity, career, etc.) is about learning, growing, and evolving. That the knowing is not what any of the shit I want deep in my marrow are about.

Thanks for this epic pep talk, sweetie!! 🫶

Expand full comment
Katie Kastner's avatar

I am right there with you. Middle phase has some shitty energy but also exciting energy but also scary energy. Middle phase is a mindfuck.

Expand full comment
Dre Beltrami's avatar

It's taken me a month just to accept I'm DEEP in the middle. Maybe by the end of June, I'll accept that I'm going to be am employee again. 🤷‍♀️

Expand full comment
Louise Harman's avatar

Holy crapola yes - the messy middle is a bastard of a place (ask me how I know lol). Mate, I'm deep in the deconditioning phase - trying to unbrainwash myself from the content cult I was part of for so long. It's like all my creative edge just said 'adios' and fucked off abruptly but I'm determined to claw my way back from the brink of biz burndown. Lotta work. Intrigued to know more about what you're looking for in terms of a ride-or-die unhinged biz bestie to co-awesomify with.

Expand full comment
Dre Beltrami's avatar

Yup! I'm very familiar with that deconditioning phase of fuckery. It took me FOUR years so crawl out of all the programming so I could hear myself think again. I'm in the phase where I can't UNSEE my value. Where I know that I'm ready for something bigger than a bunch of free work just to sell shit. I don't know exactly what I'm looking for yet, but don't worry, I'll be sharing that, too... when it's done bouncing around in my head.

I'm so glad I've done all the healing I have the last 4 years. I'm strong. I'm whole. I just need my reality to match my insides.

I'm over here cheering you on like a drunk soccer mom with mustard all over her shirt, sweetie! 🫶

Expand full comment
Louise Harman's avatar

Chick, I can relate so hard to all of this. I know what it's like when your outer world pales in comparison to your inner awesome - I get so impatient like, catch up already! Honestly sounds like you're headed somewhere pretty amazing though - and yeah the subconscious deliberation is so necessary - I've been doing the same lately, personally and with my business because it's a pathetic shell of what it could be (and I'm enjoying casually watching it burn to the ground whilst cackling maniacally). I'm treating it like a season, part of the cycle, and all will become clear and present itself eventually. Keep on trucking mate - here for it. x

Expand full comment
Dre Beltrami's avatar

Abso-fucking-lutely!! I'm right there with you. I choose to believe my matchy/matchy era is coming soon. I just have to keep living and leaning into what I WANT and laughing my ass off along the way. 💃🏽

Expand full comment