Dearest Nobody in Particular,
Are you a Melville fan by any chance? I love Moby-Dick for lots of reasons: it’s rife with interesting characters and philosophical rumination; Melville’s idyllic descriptions of the sea and the life contained therein; the subtle, ironic stabs and slashes he takes at the less desirable aspects of American culture; and—nearly most of all—his prognostications about what we are doomed to become if we cannot curb our insatiable megalomania 😅
But as much as I love all of those aspects, I love the language perhaps most of all.
There’s something about reading 19th century American literature that is like stepping back in time. We sadly don’t use adjectives such as swimmingly enough anymore, nor do we see the word stove and think of anything other than the noun that represents the cooking device in our kitchens. While this saddens me for nerdy reasons that I could probably never convey, I’ve had one phrase rattling around in my head for months now—hold fast. It doesn’t make much sense in today’s usage, and the closest idiom I can think of that nearly any native speaker of English today would use is “hang on.” 💪
Hold fast has become sort of a personal mantra for me since going full time in Web3, and I think this is why I’ve been wanting to reread Moby-Dick so badly. Not that I was necessarily worried about the fluke of a whale staving in a boat, but hold fast is a great metaphor for the moments when our mettle is tested, when our will to carry on in the face of adversity is tried. Life, as beautiful and magnificent as it can be, reminds me of the vast vistas of the sea Melville paints with words in the novel: open, full of possibility and potential. And as incredible as the wide open ocean can be, we sometimes sail into storms head on and “hold fast” as best we can. The storm that Erin and I have been riding through over recently has taken its toll in some ways, and made us stronger in others. It’s almost as if we’ve been lashed to the mast together and forced to undergo the ordeal from every possible angle.
Working full time in Web3 is both a blessing and a curse. It is exhilarating because you truly feel as if you’re building the future in ways that not everyone can see or understand yet. Being in an environment such as a startup company like mine, every moment seems precious, every opportunity seems pregnant with promise and meaning. But while we push ahead in many different dimensions as possible for our work, it’s easy to get consumed by our own passion for pushing ahead. Much like Ahab in Moby Dick, we become consumed with the idea of catching the “white whale,” which could be any number of things for any of us. But this singular focus and working almost nonstop around the clock creates friction in other aspects of our lives, so we must do our best to maintain a balance that allows the most important people in our lives to still take front and center, even if it means being tied to the mast with us.
We all face such storms in our lives. There is not a single one of us who doesn’t have challenges to some degree or another. Life is not always going to be smooth sailing, as much as we’d like it to be. But it’s successfully sailing through storms such as these that steels our courage and fortitude for the future. It has been a rough ride at times for Erin and me, especially now that I have to travel and be away from her for work. I know we will still have to weather the storm from time to time, but it seems as if the clouds will dissipate soon enough. I have faith that the sun will shine brightly again in our lives, and I am doing my best to take the positive experiences and moments out of this new way of work and learn from them.
If you’re currently in the middle of your own tempest, Nobody in Particular, do your best to make the most of the situation. There are opportunities to grow in every moment, in every situation. I’ve learned a great deal about my own capacity to handle adversity and counsel others with what wisdom I have gained in the last six months, and what I wanted to relay to you is that we all can and must do this from time to time. It’s not always pleasant in the moment, but if we’re patient with the ordeal and ourselves we only grow stronger in the long run. This strength then allows us to be more confident when facing new storms, new challenges. So whether you are in the midst of such a squall, there is one looming on the horizon, or in the future if you find yourself in one, don’t give in or give up—just…
Hold fast, NIP.
Namaste, pax vobiscum, and much love 🙏❤️🙇♂️
Ryan / Phunky
Dang, have not read Moby Dick and I feel bad because I cannot relate to being upset about the modern vernacular. Maybe as time goes on haha.
And props to you my man. Being able to live out that dream, but still maintain the awareness that you have things to keep intact. Letting that awareness slip is how I imagine most things fall apart for people.
Where have you been traveling to my friend? Top secret places?