Do You Want To Share My Secret Stash of Essay Candy?
E167: Guest Essay by Krishna (KK) From Couch to Dawn
I feel like one of my kids in the weeks after Halloween. There - in the nether-reaches of the back of their closet - is a big brown bag filled with their favourite candy. Out of the total selection offered on 20 different streets and probably 300 homes, this is their personal stash, the candies that they reserve for their special moments. I’ve been doing the same - sitting on my own secret stash of memorable essays. Wanna share?
For context, I have participated in seven Write of Passage (WoP) cohorts, three of them as part of the editing crew. This has given me a front-seat on some wonderful writers and essays making their debut across the world. I’ve peer- or crew-edited over 400 essays and read around 1,000 in draft or fully published form.
What I realize is that all our experience fades in the face of a fresh sheet of paper. There is this special space that every new essay takes. Each of us reverts to Day One. We find ourselves vulnerable, in the same spot of discovery, delight, possibility. And fear. Anxious to share our thoughts. Worrying that we will not be able to do it effectively. Regardless of whether we are experienced writers with years of publishing and umpteen books under our belt, a 56-year-old professional, or a 19-year-old photographer just dipping our toe into publishing online we are all equal when starting a new essay. We are grateful for the support and an extra set of eyes from someone else before we hit publish.
Some stick with you
Many essays stood out over the seven cohorts, and I will share them intermittently over the coming weeks under the Essay Candy tag.
But some essays stick with you. Either because the message was something you needed to hear in “just that moment”, or because the structure of the essay stuck with you like a musical ear-worm. Or both.
There are many spectacular writers out there (and some are stellar word-acrobats). I really enjoy your work. If you do not see your worthy essay listed here over the coming weeks, it’s because it’s a fine truffle while I was craving a caramel.
My Box of Essay Candy:
Sweat, Strides and Stories
Author: Krishna Kumar (KK)
Newsletter: @pivotplaybook on Substack
The essay I’m sharing with you today comes from
1. Over the coming weeks I will share more of these.“Every great story starts with a character who moves.” And with that intro you are off to the races …
Even in it’s raw first-draft state, this essay captured the ability to literally “move me”. It inspired me to lace up, leave my array of rectangles, and step outside into a kaleidescope of silvery greys and mottled blues in the Canadian sky. It got me moving.
As I texted
when asking for permission to showcase “From Couch to Dawn: Sweat, Strides and Stories”, this also captured other themes important to Tribe Tilt - the power of community, our innate ability to learn new ideas, resilience, transition & transformation, heirloom skills (i.e. return to basics), and an element of hope.It is a story of “overcoming” the obstacles that get in the way of moving forward, and getting out of our own way.
Excerpts from “From Couch to Dawn: Sweat, Strides and Stories”
The difference between 4 minutes and 8.21 minutes per kilometer is staggering. It's the difference between excellence and... well, just showing up.
But here's the beautiful paradox – just showing up was its own kind of excellence.
You see, we often think transformation requires massive, dramatic changes. But what I learned from running is that transformation happens in the quiet moments of choosing to show up.
In an essay littered with gold-dust, here are a few of my favourite moments:
we are not designed for the lives we've built
Nobody tells you that the hardest running happens in your head.
In an age of endless optimization and artificial intelligence, perhaps the most revolutionary act is returning to our most basic human capability: sustained movement through space.
your body isn't just legacy hardware for running your mind. It's the platform everything else runs on. Optimize it accordingly.
This is not the first running essay I’ve ever read. But it’s message connected with my dots.
We write for the one person in 8 billion who needed to hear what we had to say, just the way we say it. — Karena
If you enjoy Krishna’s essay, please let him know, and share with the both of us why it may have resonated with you too. Leave us a comment.
Did a message in this post tug at the memory of a friend? Re-kindle a conversation. Share this post with them …
Are you new to Tribe Tilt? Welcome!
You join a wonderful group. We believe we can make a difference to the people and places that are precious to us, and that we have fun, hope and agency in our lives. We believe that the best ideas can come from anyone, anywhere, at any time. Please add your voice to our conversations.
Stay healthy. From there all else becomes possible.
Until next week …
Karena
Different ways of learning more about Krishna Kumar:
On Substack as @pivotplaybook https://substack.com/@pivotplaybook/posts
On LinkedIn: Krishna Kumar https://www.linkedin.com/in/storytellerkrishna/
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what a great idea. your teaser got me hooked enough to go check out Krishna. thank you for introducing him
Thank you Karena for the spotlight, the impact of a writing is about the action it triggers. Glad that you are lacing up...