25 Comments
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Philip Costea's avatar

Dude, this is awesome. I don't think it would make a difference if you wrote 40 or any other number; although, write this again when you're 70, and it'll be twice as awesome.

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Joshua Turek's avatar

Thank you Philip!

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Ami's avatar

Getting an email notifying me of a new post of yours is always a nice surprise. Reading this resonated with me. I turn 37 in May and I find a lot of similarities in your life experiences and mine. Maybe it's a shared generational feeling? Some sort of common thing that permeates through all of us?

Whatever it may be, thank you for your writing! Oh yeah, Happy birthday! I used to dread birthdays, not so much because of the arbitrary turning a different, older age. More so just the idea of keeping track of time through a series of finite numbers to be ticked off and crossed out over, say, experiences and memories like you mentioned. Haha, I'm rambling sorry!

Zach

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Yolanda D.'s avatar

Happy Birthday, Joshua! It seems life hasn't been the same since before the wildfires in LA. I hope you can find some peace in your writing. Your first book did very well, so maybe a second is on the horizon. ❤️🎉

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Joshua Turek's avatar

Thank you Yolanda I agree re the fires. I am almost done with my next book! Cant wait for it to get out there

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Yolanda D.'s avatar

AWESOME! Please let me know if you are running low on something.

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Liz Colville's avatar

So much to relate to, and rendered in such a fine and moving way. I’m so glad I found your writing (via an Instagram reel!!) Happy birthday!

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Joshua Turek's avatar

So glad too thanks Liz!

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Turban's avatar

I'm in my early 30s and starting to feel the age a bit for the first time! I think there's a passage about Hemingway saying the most surprising thing about life is that we have to keep going. Your writing is entertaining and I've laughed hysterically at your standup. Keep going.

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Joel Ballivian's avatar

This: "Evil seems like aberration when you’ve traipsed along mountain trails to a waterfall with a friend opening his heart to you as you do the same to him. There is a reason capitalism is referred to as a parasite. Colonialism, genocide, are infectious disease symptoms of the parasite but they are not the host body. Babies aren’t born to rob others of life. Our innate goodness has been scrubbed from the record by capital unless it can be commodified or used to control. But we have a history of goodness as a species. Evil is still the exception. I still haven’t learned to believe otherwise."

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Biff Thuringer's avatar

Nice. Philip Costea, I’m 72 and Joshua could have written this for me. It’s all good.

https://on.soundcloud.com/WxwQm5X48qSVD78P8

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Alexandrara's avatar

This was a great read. All of it feels true

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Keelin Johnson's avatar

Hustle is the absence of culture. Creating art, is culture. Keep writing.

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Jenovia 🕸️'s avatar

“I still haven’t learned to not find riding a bike the ultimate sense of freedom.” YES! 💥

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Bryce Wafflebeaver's avatar

This is wonderful

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Maureen Anderson's avatar

"Expressing joy at what is" the way you do, Joshua, is (as you obviously know) the whole point. I've never understood why people would want to retire from work they're so obviously good at, and love. Happy 40th!

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Heather Kearns's avatar

have you read "the creative act: a way of being" by rick rubin? happy 40th. i turned 40 the day obama was elected the first time in 2008. i was born the day nixon was elected.

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Joshua Turek's avatar

Havent read it! You like it? Pivotal birthdays it sounds like

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Heather Kearns's avatar

i listened to it on two long walks. i loved it!

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Dani's avatar

Thank you for your writing, it makes me feel less alone. Happy Birthday.

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Joshua Turek's avatar

Thank you so much!

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Michelle's avatar

Thank you thank you for sharing the gift of your writing with us on your birthday. Feeling it in my heart, deeply relatable. Hope you’re enjoying the sun on your face today and everyday, and that life post fires is treating yall fine.

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Michael Barron's avatar

Love this and deeply relate to this, especially the parts on creativity and “navigating the marketplace.” Definitely resonates in my 30s.

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