Museletter the Hundredth

Several people have asked me what great thing I'm going to do for issue #100…?So I considered typing up 100 amazing facts, or my favorite 100 musings, or even a meta-musing about the number 100 itself. I have to admit: the pressure became so great that I almost named this #101, just to avoid the sense of obligation at making this museletter bigger or better or cooler, or somehow more special because it's… well, it's #100!

And then I suddenly remembered a billboard I saw years ago, alongside some highway:

"Live like there's no yesterday."

Of course, it's more common to hear "Live like there's no tomorrow" — similar to YOLO ("you only live once"), or carpe diem ("seize the day"). But I prefer the billboard version because I think, down deep, more people worry about yesterday than tomorrow. We're so concerned that the past means something — that what has happened determines who we are today, or what we should do next. For example, if I've been successful, then it means my next project must be even more successful. If something bad happened to me, then that somehow means something about what I can (or can't) do next.

Living like there's no yesterday takes all that pressure away. This is always the first time I'm up to bat. This is always museletter #1. Each day is always a fresh start.

So yes, I'm quietly celebrating the milestone, of accomplishing something that feels good to me. But I've decided to let myself off the hook, ignoring whatever came before, and instead focus on the best gift of all: the present.

(Yeah, I know that gift/present pun is overused, but hey: when we live as though there's no yesterday, then this is the first time you've heard it!)

What's That Called?

OK… so, two words that sound the same but mean different things are homophones (like present and present… or grate and great). And two words that are written the same way but are pronounced differently are homographs (like how a tear can come out of your eye, and you can have a tear in your shirt). And to make it even more confusing, both of these things are also called homonyms.

But as far as I can tell, there's no word that means: words that are really similar, but different in just one little sound. For example, short vs shirt, or artistic vs autistic. There are hundreds of examples in English: elicit vs illicit, man vs men, lose vs loose, paper vs pepper, ship vs sheep. These words are obviously different when you read them, but when said out loud they can be easily confused.

That's what makes them so often used in puns…?like: "She told me it was a tiger, but now I see she was lion." (Groan!)

There ought to be a word for this kind of thing. My wife and I were discussing it, and I suggested similnym (from the Greek for "similar words"). She came up with something even better: a cinnanym.

Finishing the Book

A year ago this week I got a telephone call asking for computer help. That's not uncommon, of course; for decades, I've been an informal "tech support" for many friends and family members. However, this call was different: My friend Ron needed help with his laptop so he could finish his book… because he was about to die. I didn't even know he was sick, so this came as quite a shock. But I went over to see what I could do.

OK, I should provide some background: Ron and his wife, Carrie, had owned one of the top-rated restaurants in the world — The Herbfarm —?which happens to be in the town where I live. My wife and I had dined there a handful of times, and gotten to know Ron and Carrie a bit. As it turns out, Ron was also really into graphic design, and would create all the restaurant's menus and brochures. We were both tickled to discover that he used some pattern-making software that I helped develop years ago.

I admit I felt a bit in awe of Ron and Carrie, and this restaurant that they had created. But they were both so down-to-earth and such generous people! So when I got the call, there was no question I had to help.

When I arrived, Ron appeared to be moving in slow motion. Carrie explained that Ron was trying to finish a combination cookbook and memoir. Even in his deep illness, he kept at it, though the toxins in his system were overwhelming his ability to concentrate. He had completed most of the manuscript and had painstakingly designed and laid out most of the pages, but it quickly became apparent that there was weeks more work to do…?and he didn't have weeks left to do it.

"We'll get it done," I assured him. "I'll help Carrie, and we'll get it done."

Ron passed soon after, and I like to think he was able to let go, comfortable knowing that his book was in good hands.

So I'm pleased to announce: the book is finally done and it looks awesome. I can't help but notice little things that I wish we had fixed before it went to press, but I'm choosing to frame them as quirks, not mistakes. Ron wrote and designed this amazing thing, and Carrie brought it to life, through sheer force of will. I'm honored that I got to help a little.

You can learn more about the book at Carrie's web site: SpiritOfTheHerbfarm.com (and if you order it directly from there, she'll include a bonus booklet with more recipes).

Then, if you want to learn more about Ron and how design and food were a constant braid in his life, see this article he once wrote for InDesign Magazine.

Thank You

I enjoy sharing my musings… and I enjoy hearing yours! Please share this newsletter with a friend,?follow me on LinkedIn, and send me feedback. You can always reach me at [email protected]