Hey Friends,

Do I seem angry?

I don't feel like I am, but after a couple of readers have asked me if I'm okay, I thought I should evaluate. It might be that I've spent the better part of the last year writing in black and white, drawing in jungle green, and still having a hard time getting rid of orange. Maybe it's just years of reading the news with no end in sight. Taking in all the darkness and trying to pour it out as something light is not easy.

Well, I've decided to step back and think about what I've done. Over the next month, I’ll be taking some time off.

I'll still publish each Friday. But instead of writing a fresh new piece or foraging through the top headlines, I'm going to reach into the archives to highlight my best articles, many of which are just as relevant today as ever.

I started The Lorem Ipsum back in June of 2021, a ripe three and a half years ago and have not taken a single week off. That's 179 weeks in a row. In pounds, that's almost how much weight Marjorie Taylor Green can bench press on a good day. Or the number of times Alexandria Occacio Cortez has complained about someone calling her names. Those weeks consist of three books worth of words or a week's worth of Elon Musk's tweets, although with more substance, I would hope.

Well, it's time for me to put the axe down and recharge my creative juices. To fill in for me, Yesterday Me will step in. That's the me that was much lighter and less battle-worn. I'll feature an article I think you should read or re-read. For most of you, being fairly new here, the classics are as new to you as the latest.

For those looking for fresh material, Today Me will probably be there to open with some commentary, just like the old man in masterpiece theatre.

Speaking of recharging, I'd encourage you to do the same. Politics, which takes up a good portion of the content here, can be an ugly place. It can be divisive, aggravating, and sometimes a distortion of reality. Contrary to what you may think, the world does not hate you. Most people are just neighbors that would help you with a flat tire, or lost dog without hesitation. We all simply have our own life experiences, which lead us to see the world through a lens made of those experiences. But we have a tendency to judge people for their lenses when we should be their neighbors instead.

In general, we all want the same thing. To be happy, and to live where people are happy. So let's do one of the most happy things one can do. Let's break bread together instead of trying to prove each other wrong. Let's make space for one another, set aside our differences, and be together.

So, in the spirit of making space, I'll share an article that reminds us of just that. I've re-shared it once before, but it is timely, so I figured it couldn't hurt to share again. I promise this will be the last time (possibly). It's about making room in our lives by making blank spaces and doing less so we can enjoy it more.

Blank Space

Life is about taking it all in, even if it means deleting some. An essay about what isn't there.

Here’s an excerpt.

As in advertising, so it is with every form of art. American Gothic barely had any gothic in it, just a man, a woman, and the look of toil on their faces. In The Creation of Adam, it is the simplicity of the hands that makes it special. The Mona Lisa was not the Mona Lisa and Friends. For god sakes, the statue of David barely had genitalia to distract us. And how much time the artists must have spent simply thinking about their work of art before taking the first stroke, considering what they won't include in their design and which blank spaces they will leave to be as they were when they found them.

Beauty is an act of restraint. Beauty is in the blank space.

Here's to making space. Enjoy This Week's Feature.

Blank Space

Life is about taking it all in, even if it means deleting some. An essay about what isn’t there.

The Lorem Ipsum, by Daniel HerndonDaniel Herndon

Have a great weekend!