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HAPPY FRIDAY 🎉 “What do you do?” is one of the most loaded questions in D.C., so the people are innovating. Last week, at a dinner party, someone asked me, “So…when you wake up in the morning, what happens after that?”
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LIFE
Appropriate fear
Two strangers walk into a bar in DC and sit at the counter. Both are attending one of the many conferences in town that week. One of them’s a local.
Man, it’s hot out there!
Man, I told myself after the long winter we had that I wouldn’t complain about the heat, too, but damn!
Right?!
…
…
Which one are you here for?
What?!
The badge. Which—
Oh, yeah. World Bank.
Ah. Y’all are the reason I was late to work this morning. All the streets are blocked off.
Yeah…What about you? What conference?
Semafor.
What’s that?
A media company hosting an Economy Forum.
Yeah, that’s how they make money.
Mhm.
First time in DC?
Yeah. You?
I live here. Where are you coming in from?
Dallas.
Oof! Terry Black’s! That barbecue changed my life.
I know, right? We definitely have it good over there.
You in town for a while?
Nah, it’s a quick trip. Believe it or not, my wedding’s next week.
Oh! Congrats! Or…sorry that’s happening. How are you feeling?
Excited. Nervous. Terrified. Excited. Yeah…
Excited is good. Terrified is also good.
Why d’you say that?
Like most things, a little fear is good. You should do your best—and all the other stuff they tell you to do maybe—but appropriate fear prevents you from taking your partner for granted. That’s the second leading cause of divorce after, well, getting married.
I’ve never heard that before.
The divorce joke?
No, the fear thing.
Yeah it’s the same with having kids. You’re excited for them to arrive, but you should also be a little scared. Scared of messing them up. I worry about any parent who isn’t consumed with some sort of parenting imposter syndrome.
Oh man, I haven’t even gotten to kids yet. Now, I’m really anxious. Thanks for that.
Haha, you’ll be fine. It’s also like having goals. Your goals should balance ambition and practicality. If your goals don’t scare you a little—fill you with a little dread, even—then they are just glorified tasks.
Hmm, I like that.
Oh shit. I gotta run. Can I get the bill, please? Put his drink on my tab.
Oh, you don’t have to—
I insist.
Thanks, man.
Of course. Good luck with everything!
TOGETHER WITH INFLOW
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THINGS
A quote
Nearly all our faults are more forgivable than the means we use to hide them.
A picture
This one is from brunch a couple of weeks ago after a busy week traveling and attending the tail end of the Consortium of Universities for Global Health (CUGH) Conference.
I miss being above average height in Uganda 😅. Everyone’s taller than me here.
WORK
Here’s a trick
Have you ever wanted to use leading zeroes but Excel won’t let you?
Use an apostrophe:
PRODUCTS
A course
A guide
FUN
The Friday Fix playlist
Your picks
> Some of the best spots in the world for a picnic
> Create your own constellation
> Find artists similar to your faves
Have a great weekend,
— SO
