A moment in under a minute

For those of us with short attention spans

Sep 01, 2024

POV: We had some sheep yard time this week - with a little helper and her puppy.

It's 4pm and we're all flopped together, exhausted in the living room. Dad's falling asleep on the bean bag in-front of the fire. All the rest are on a device of some sort, the football is on in the background, is anyone even watching it? I'd always prefer it not to be on so I can hear the tick of the flames as they lick away in the fireplace. We're all together but in our own worlds - the peculiarity of how we now 'wind down'.

—

My sister came here for the weekend to help pack boxes. Mum is moving. By the end of the weekend the crabapple had push out its first green shoots. Now there is bright pink buds ready to burst. It takes a long time to grow but blooming happens almost in an instant.

—

We play Monopoly in the morning because you are not going to school today. I watch as you try and sneak a few extra $100 bills from the bank of you pass GO. Normally, I'd warn against it with some sort of life-lesson but I let it GO: you're having a wonderful time stealing money from the bank and buying houses at every turn. This game, it always makes me think about Capitalism.

—

The boys went to touch football trials leaving just the girls at home. I filled the kitchen with Laura Marling. Safe and quiet and thoughtful. Girl told me she is not missing her brothers.

—

I have an overly sensitive nose. It’s a problem. I catch a whiff of Daphne at my desk at 3pm. Well that’s nice, I think.

A missive. That’s what these are. Much easier to write. I have a feeling they are much easier for you to consume too - short attention spans and all. I’ve been inspired by similar newsletter editions from

Maggie Mackellar

and

Emma Gannon

- who are without doubt two of most most adored newsletter writers. This week I found myself thinking in missives and it’s been fun. Also, I suppose you might have picked up here that I am having a stand-off with social media at the moment, particularly Instagram. Reach and engagement and general joy is getting harder to come by. Grim, I know. But I’m thinking that I might try these missives under the headline ‘moments in under a minute’ on all platforms - Substack, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Tik-tok? YouTube? To see how they land, who plays along etc etc - I’ve always prided myself on repurposeing content for every platform so that my audience is always getting something new so I’m intrigued to see what a bulk post might highlight to me. If this too falls flat. I know for sure that it’s time for a serious change in communication lines. I’d love to know if you’re having a stand-off like me? And even better what’s your ‘moment in under a minute’?

Sxx