Hugh Hollowell

First, a warning: this post will not make sense to most of you. Just go with it, OK?

Once upon a time, I knew this guy. He owned a small business, just like I did. And just like I did, he struggled to make ends meet. And we would talk about it, and talking about it would lead to talking about other things and one day, we realized we were friends.

It was that very male friendship; for example, we would talk about our significant others, but never managed to get them in a room together. There were many more things like that, but we, the two of us, were friends. He would struggle with his kids and we would talk about it. I would struggle with the relationship I was in at the time and we would talk about it. And when that relationship I was in went to hell in a handcart, he was there–never sappy but there, nonetheless.

One thing we talked about often and agreed on was how bad Memphis had become. We were both, as I said, business owners and both had once had dreams of writing for a living. Like kindred spirits, we both dreamed of leaving Memphis and pursuing our dreams.

One day, I did just that. I remember telling him I was finally moving and seeing a combination of what I took to be happiness for me and frustration for him. Our relationship changed a bit that day… after that, it was almost as if we were afraid to invest any more into it, knowing I was not going to be around.

So, I left, and started writing again and now write a fair amount for pay and am living my dream and rarely think about Memphis and even more rarely write anyone there because I am a horrible corespondent.

But I still read his blog, because once we were very close and I have always wanted the sort of family he has, and I live vicariously through his parental joy. I do not know this, but suspect that he no longer reads mine, as I talk a good deal about faith, which is a topic he has little use for. But honestly, I just do not know.

The other day he announced on his blog that he has sold his business and is now going to try his hand at freelance writing full-time. I know him, and know how scary this is going to be for him, and how much anxiety this is going to cause him, and how much he will enjoy it and how this is what he was made to do.

The one thing he does not know, unless he still does read my blog, is how very proud I am of him for living his dream. If you are reading this, RJA, you inspire me. Keep up the good fight.

I told you last week about the great BBQ debate on Twitter… you’ve read the blog post, now see the movie!

Abby and I were interviewed and our edited clips made it into the weekly 30threads “threadcast”. It was a lot of fun to do this, but in the future, when I am asked for a recommended place to do an interview, I must try to get it done inside. My ADD and pretty cars passing by are NOT a good mix when in front of the camera.

Check out the video here.

And, for the record, I like “Talk 30 to me” much, much more than “threadcast” as a name for this feature on the 30threads website.

So, today I am sitting at Helios, my second favorite coffee shop in Raleigh, NC, talking to my friend Abby and generally avoiding work that I should be doing when we discovered that we lived about two blocks apart from each other when I lived in Memphis.

In addition, while she lived there she took a picture of my bookstore/coffee shop in Midtown (although she never came in… which, multiplied by about 150 people a month, explains why I no longer own said bookstore/coffee shop…)

Photo Credit: Abby Ladybug