Is this thing on?

There are certain expressions that come into the vernacular, and you remember exactly when you first encountered them.

Like “It’s not a bug; it’s a feature.” I read this in a newsletter circa 2020 and thought whoever wrote it was so clever, until a co-worker used it, and then another… Soon, I learned—from a 2018 Wired article, no less—that “It’s not a bug, it’s a feature” has appeared in mainstream media since the ‘90s and been popular among programmers since at least 1975. D’oh!

So when I heard “we’ve lost the plot” at some point after my naive dalliance with INABIAF, I figured the saying’s been around forever. I’ve probably heard it before. It just hit different then, because I was younger and had nowhere to look but forward. Back when I listened to “Once in a Lifetime” and heard the beat more than the lyrics.

I’ve lost the plot. I’m unsure if it’s late-stage capitalism, pre-perimenopause, my special brand of overthinking, or the variety pack. I’ve habitually misplaced, recovered, and then re-misplaced the plot. I may need to get a second plot as backup, just in case the original one disappears for good.

And I get the sense that I’m not alone. A lot of us are out here, wondering how to find more meaning in our lives without blowing ‘em up.

So here we are. Finding The Plot. On Substack!