Elena Brower

I wrote about this.

I was walking on the streets, same boots from 2019, same coat from 2019 when I left, or 2020, but totally different brain, totally different being, walking in that outfit on those same streets.

And the best way I can explain it is that there's a level of patience and care that I did not have before.

Well, they are and they aren't.

I think those first couple of decades really were kind of a training ground for this bit.

You know, from, let's say, 30 to 50, that was.

You and I were part of shaping that space in a way.

It became something very amorphous and much bigger than us, obviously.

And not necessarily for good, but let's leave off the value judgments for now.

Our work, our personal work has always been, you know, pretty high integrity, very intentional.

And I'll let that live there.

What's come now as a result of those 20 years is just a willingness to shut up.

And to not do anything and to be very still.

That was not the plan initially.

The plan was grow, grow, grow.

Impact as many people as you can with your work, you know.

So much ego, really.

I didn't realize it until now in hindsight.

This work is really about impacting as few people as possible, as quietly as possible, as focused as possible, and then leave no trace of myself.

I wasn't even there.