58 Comments
User's avatar
Kate Kern Mundie's avatar

Thank you. This feels like confirmation that leaving my job-job to be an artist full time was right.

Expand full comment
Chris Stanton's avatar

That's awesome, Kate! Wishing you the best of luck!

Expand full comment
Cherie Lee's avatar

Thanks, Chris! I love your humorous take on a serious subject. You are spot on!

Expand full comment
Chris Stanton's avatar

Thank you, Cherie!

Expand full comment
Amanda Jaffe's avatar

Really good, Chris. I'm sorry for taking a while to read. A whole lot of crazy travel going on! Just know you've now been read in Bulgaria!

Expand full comment
Chris Stanton's avatar

No need for apologies, Amanda, I’m just grateful that you read it at all! Please give the Bulgarians my best. Safe travels!

Expand full comment
Shelly Mazzanoble's avatar

OMG, there you go pissing off the AI's again! But I think even Alexa would love this one. I am 100% behind answering the "What do you do?" question the way you have. (Also our answers are very similar. Just add "Watch Housewives knock over chairs and throw wine glasses and then talk to my best friend about them for hours" and we're basically twins.

Expand full comment
Chris Stanton's avatar

Alexa would like it because I’m insulting Siri. While you’re watching the Housewives, I’ll be watching people investigating UFOs and paranormal phenomenon. Wouldn’t it be awesome if there was a crossover between our interests and one of the Housewives got abducted?

Expand full comment
Tim Lieder's avatar

I'd like to pay my back rent so my landlord stops threatening to evict me.

This eat pray love meshuggas is fun for people with savings

https://marlowe1.substack.com/p/the-stray-by-garry-kilworth-badass

Expand full comment
Alisa Kennedy Jones's avatar

I think I'm going to be busy cooking and romanticizing my life... oh yes, and rewriting my minor tragedies as comedies while also playing Bananagrams :)

Expand full comment
Chris Stanton's avatar

Please do keep rewriting your minor tragedies as comedies. I need to read them.

Expand full comment
SuddenlyJamie's avatar

I abhor the "What do you do?" question for all the reasons outlined in this post. It's a terrible kind of shorthand used to put people in boxes based on stereotypes that have nothing to do with who someone really is, in their heart. I'd rather ask/answer questions like, "What do you love?" or "What're you reading/watching?" or "What are you excited about right now?" Or - my all-time favorite: "Can I pet your dog?" 😉 💜 🐶

Expand full comment
Chris Stanton's avatar

Exactly! That stuff is so much more interesting and tells you so much more about who a person is. “Can I pet your dog?” is, of course, the best of the bunch!

Expand full comment
Tina Marsan's avatar

Thank you! Many people will benefit from this. Great job!

Expand full comment
Chris Stanton's avatar

Thanks so much, Tina!

Expand full comment
Kelsey Abbott's avatar

Chris, this is the energy of the moment (helped by the hurricanes): giving zero Fs about the stuff that’s unimportant.

Expand full comment
Chris Stanton's avatar

Thank you, Kelsey! I love the way you put that.

Expand full comment
Felicia A. Rivers's avatar

You had me at Billy Jack!

Expand full comment
Chris Stanton's avatar

😂

Expand full comment
Natalie Mead's avatar

I literally just finished a draft about how terrible this question is for me as a disabled person!

Expand full comment
Chris Stanton's avatar

Oh wow, I can’t wait to read it!

Expand full comment
Natalie Mead's avatar

You are so good at reading my mind. Psychic!

Expand full comment
Tina Neidlein's avatar

Omg: “Using all that extra time to drink wine and ‘storm the Bastille,’ if you know what I mean.” 😂😂😂

Expand full comment
Chris Stanton's avatar

Haha I’m glad you liked that one!

Expand full comment
Gary Gruber's avatar

I know very few who recognize that all of us are under the “terminal” label. Every life terminates, some sooner than others. Why postpone what you really want to do since you do not have an extended warranty? There are myriads of reasons that people use to avoid scary changes. I wrote a piece not too long ago “Stepping into the unknown” that might shed a little light.

Expand full comment
Chris Stanton's avatar

That’s such a great point, Gary. I’m disappointed in myself for not thinking of it.

Expand full comment
Carole Cline's avatar

That was a fun compelling read

Thank you ! Now I am gonna take a nap🙃

Expand full comment
Carole Cline's avatar

Thanks Chris ! You writing is very dynamic

I appreciate your stamina !

Expand full comment
Chris Stanton's avatar

Thank you, Carole! I hope you had a refreshing nap!

Expand full comment
Una's avatar

I HATE that Q. I find the follow up fascinating - a live stream of someone doing the mental arithmetic to work out your identity, how to judge you and what box to put you on. Excellent take, as per!

Expand full comment
Chris Stanton's avatar

Thanks, Una! You’re so right about the live stream—you can see it in their eyes and micro facial movements. It IS fascinating. But ridiculous at the same time.

Expand full comment
Ellis's avatar

Somewhat depressing but these are the issues that don’t really go away!

Expand full comment
Chris Stanton's avatar

So true!

Expand full comment