Yesterday was a long day and that thing I wrote was not. It—the thing—was written several days ago, mostly, so all I did was stare at it for ten minutes to see if it would change, then posted it because it didn’t. It felt darker and more negative than I did—I mean it felt like it sounded darker and more negative. But maybe that was the truth sneaking out from behind the words.

There’s much to be said for how things—and people—sound. When I read an article the author of which is identified as a “lifehacker” in their bio, I instinctively think they sound annoying. Like they’re always writing something called “8 Ways To ____.” Or they’re thinking about writing it. Or, worse, they’re talking about it.

I’m sure I sound annoying right now. I feel that way, like I’m tapping out a few useless sentences about nothing, just to fill the space available to me, to all of us. Not because I don’t have anything else to do, but because I’m shrugging those things off for the moment, which is just a way of trying to take control, of sounding like I am. Maybe tomorrow I’ll write a short piece called “213 Ways To Obscure the Truth With Words” so I can obscure the truth with words because the truth is

How does that sound?