“Life Its Ownself” Turns Three!
There was lots to talk about this year – a presidential race, the defenestration of moderate rural Republicans in the Texas House, and my decade as a monk, for example.
Welcome to another installment of Life Its Ownself. I offer insight, analysis and context on Texas and national politics, as well as entertaining stories of life its ownself in the Lone Star State. If you like what you read, please 1) smash the Like button at the bottom of this installment, 2) subscribe to this newsletter, and 3) tell your 1,000 best friends to read and subscribe. Also, feel free to comment below. I’d love to hear your thoughts.
But first, your moment of Zen … By.my friend Mar Cunningham, the Milky Way as shot from the Sublett House ruins in Big Bend NP. Thanks, Mark!
Friday, January 3, 2025
Quote of the Day:
This week, Life Its Ownself turns three! I am very proud of the community y’all have become. I went from 600 subscribers at the beginning of 2024 to 800 today. My goal is to have 1,000 subscribers by the end of 2025.
I’ve also gone from 63 paid subscribers last January to 85 today. This is a huge honor to me! Longtime readers know that there was not a paid subscription option originally. After a while, though, a few of you asked to support my work through a paid subscription. (Unlike many of my Substack colleagues, I do not rely upon subscriptions to pay my bills. Please consider supporting other Substack authors you admire.)
Looking back at the year, there were two changes to LIO that I hope made it a better experience for you.
First, in addition to writing \ about Texas and national politics, I wrote more about myself and my background: my decade as a monk, my fondness for stargazing, and how I learned to love the word “love.” Your “likes” and positive comments on those posts were very gratifying.
To be honest, some of that was driven by how boring and depressing state and national politics has become.
I imagine that, in the year to come, both state and national politics will continue to be depressing, if perhaps not boring.
Second, I explored other ways of storytelling, like my interview with Deep State operative Vinnie Lamponero to get at the truth of the Taylor Swift/Travis Kelce/rigged Super Bowl plot; my short play about Mayor Kirk Watson’s disastrous deal to let DPS patrol East Austin; and my modern re-telling of that old chestnut, “The Night Before Christmas.”
In the year to come, I hope to expand upon my subject matter and my storytelling style. I will continue to report on further adventures with my good friend Marfawitz. And I plan to write a series of profiles of the interesting people I have come across over the years. Please give me your feedback on how LIO can be more entertaining and informative for you.
Thanks again for your readership and support. Here’s to a great 2025 for all of us!
Your weekend reading …
… Suzanne Bellsnyder, a colleague of mine when we both worked in the Texas Senate, has this informative deep dive on the Texaa Speaker’s race in her Texas Rural Reporter blog.
… Melissa del Bosque of The Border Chronicle assesses how Trump 2.0 will affect the border and its people.
Thanks for continuing to do the good work.
It's time to turn Texas blue.