Long Story Short

Season 7, #4: Daytalking decided to just make this one brief

WELP, THE BOTTOM FELL out of that plan.

You see, over here at StoryShed Industries we try our level best to schedule these publishing seasons (with the requisite number of episodes—four) chockful of great writing, a story or two, some eye-popping images, a chuckle (chortles welcome, too), and well, just get the hell on with things.

I had planned to do an interview this Season 7 but scuttling that for another day. Season 8 will be a whopper and likely take us into Spring 2025 (we all must survive the winter first). More on that with the first episode of Season 8, but for now, I’m happy to report…

JOE WALSH GAVE ME A HUG.

—Not in real life, mind you, but last night in a dream. There was a lot going on in the dream, people I did not recognize, but everything was cozy and quite friendly. Then Joe Walsh shows up and, although I didn’t see a guitar, I knew it was him. I said something like, “Man, you’re one of my heroes!”

How I’d imagined getting a bear hug from Joe Walsh. Plus, the dude smiles the way I smile, so, it’s like a brother’s mirroring thing.

He had this big ol’ grin on his face and responded, arms outstretched: “C’mon, lil’ dude. Reelin’ it in for ya!”

And then we hugged.

It was sweet, really. I guess Life’s HAS Been Good (So Far)!¹

You know, there’s a story here. When that song came out I was in high school. My friends all hung out in a remote corner of the building that was the designated “Art Center”: Band, Choir, Art Department, and separate rooms with pianos and music stands for auditions and such. In the hallway adjoining all these departments were tables and chairs for studying, and the offices for the bandleader, choirmaster, and art department head (who was also a coach, naturally, Mr. Lage).

So just before graduation my musician friend Mike Elyea brings into the Music Resource Center (MRC) a copy of Walsh’s album But Seriously, Folks… we score a listening room and he puts on “Life’s Been Good” and we’re laughing our asses off and rockin’ out—that is, until the choirmaster Mr. Hotvet busts in and drives us out, nearly scratching Mike’s record. I’m still laughing at Elyea’s imitation of Hotvet: “Get outta here you kids…”

Good times.

Let’s see, what else…?

Aside from the aging aspect, I’m relatively healthy and have no pressing housing or financial issues (rare break for this guy) so the general plan is to build back stronger.

Yup.

“I woke up with survivor's guilt, cryin' over milk I'd spilt, are these the hands that time slipped through?” —Marlee MacLeod

To do that, we’ll need more money (I hear this is a common cry in the wilderness these days). Does that mean this StoryShed Substack is converting to paid only?

Uh, nope.

Not for the foreseeable future. Need to crack 1K free subscribers before I consider that, and even then my plan would be to only paywall long-form essays and pieces (like the multipart coming up in Season 8—which will still be free, free, free!) while only dangling samples in case it attracts paying peeps.

In the meantime, you can always Buy Me a Coffee or donate to StoryShed via Venmo!

Thank you for your free subscription and generosity. I’m glad you’re part of this community. We’re like otters in a pond.

Meanwhile, I’m trying new skin protection in 2025…

Suit of armor at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MiA; photo by StoryShed).

OK OK, I’ll be serious.

Reminded of this daunting fellow because Season 8 is all about my favorite triad aspect: Stargazing. Here’s how you can catch up with what that means:

I love how Stargazing integrates Daytalking’s footie friends and answers the question: Where do we go now?

Where to be.

Maybe when you’re out and about this year, where you are is where David Lynch currently is:

Oh, and, uh, yeah. This post is a double entendre. I literally ended Season 7 with an (initially intended) long story that became a (terribly unintended) short one.

We’ll do better next season.

Promise.

TTFN!

Hey, hold on a sec, cats!

• Have you ever been hugged by a rock star? How did it feel? How long were you both in the joint?

• If you have your own Substack, how do you plan your newsletters? Do the best you can by jotting ideas on a legal pad? Or, “Never, I just shoot from the hip!”

• Has life been good to you (so far)? What do you imagine might make it better?

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Notes and weird shit

“Mr. Lynch calling for you on Line 1, David Lynch Line 1.”

DO TELL.

1. “Life’s Been Good” Joe Walsh from But Seriously, Folks… (1978)