Monetizing my Reflections (without a ss#)

The Struggle to Retain Autonomy and What's Currently on My Mind

Three readers recently pledged money to my Substack. I never expected such generosity, and have never much seriously considered getting paid much for my writing, although I’ve also never treated it as a mere hobby. You see, I’m fourth generational without a social security number. Maybe the market would like the words I’ve got… but the market also likes taxes. And so, thinking along the lines of Tolstoy, I’ve never much cared what happened to my writing. I just write.

Regardless, I’m currently working on a editing a collection of stories my grandfather wrote about his life, and looking to self-publish it. My life has been too hectic to run a fundraiser (romance keeps me in the clouds), and it’s been all I can do to simply work on his book. The $170 Substack promised me if I connected Stripe tempted me to try…

I got it temporarily working. After a month it’ll shut back down. But let me tell you why this isn’t as bad as it might seem.

Stripe is too secure. It’s a US/ Irish payment system that seems to be slowly infiltrating most of the world. It’s the only thing that Substack and Twitter offer, two worldwide social media, and I find that a tad disconcerting. Not to mention that they take over 12% of whatever I earn before taxes. I’m able to bank, have a passport, etc. all without a hassling business relationship with the IRS. I’m not about to end that for some emerging payment system that honestly seems to have its fingers in too many pots. And what sticky fingers it has! Most places create loopholes for the natural citizen or illegal immigrants to take advantage of. I don’t trust something that has no loopholes (if anyone out there knows of it, please email me).

I could continue to mess with Stripe and be on perpetual probation. But I’ve figured out a simpler option that requires no social security number. It’s called Buy Me A Coffee.

I like this better.

It only takes about 5% of what supporters send me, and you get to decide how much to send. Maybe you really liked an article and want to send me $5-10. Maybe $20. Perhaps nothing, you’ll wait for the next poignant piece. You get to decide. I retain my values and keep a larger percentage.

If you’d like to know more about why I don’t have a ss#, feel free to check out County Highway’s latest issue, available only in print. I’m featured on their front page.

Besides worrying about money and digital corporations, I’ve been thinking about wedding details.

I've been painstakingly scribbling addresses onto invitation envelopes for our wedding this last week.

I'm blown away by the variety of friends I have: from Muslim to Amish, from woke to right-wing activist, from current obscure cults to century-long established denominations. I love it. It's everything I dreamed of as a little girl when I used to imagine having friends "of every hair and eye color".

There are some people who think this has caused me to "fall away" from my faith. It's done anything but that. When one understands true hospitality they are better encouraged on the path God placed them and the whims of the world won't tempt. Surrounding myself with diverse opinions and peoples has strengthened my Christian wisdom and charity, and stripped me of thinking I know best in all matters. I'm more inclined to serve, and have fewer words to offer much of the time.

I can't stand people who keep to their bubble. These sort always have a pet pervert they protect -- whether they're fundamental Christian or queer and everywhere in between -- yet feel somehow justified in hating entire groups of people different than them. In my various travels I've seen this to be true of sheltered leftist young women AND among thriving religious movements. There is always someone they cling to who they ought to ostracize and many they should love but they have chosen to shun.

It's a hard bridge to cross, but we all come to it, and there's no turning back. At some point we are called to make difficult decisions that will either broaden our perspective and test our narrative... or leave us in an arrogant, lonely corner of the universe.

I've also been reading old books.

If you often think, I wish I had time to read old books, I just never have the time, these are for you. The older authors didn't just write to stack the pennies, they have a vast assortment of short stories and novella—picture books for adults, if you will.

Such books are readily available in the first edition and affordable despite their gold engravings, thread-stitched bindings, and detailed illustrations. I found the red volume for $15 and the green for $6, and they are printed in 1908 and 1889, respectively.

Marjorie Daw is a collection of fictional letters and telegrams first published in "Atlantic Monthly" in 1873. Thomas Aldrich was a good friend of Samuel Clemons and is best known for "A Story of A Bad Boy", an autobiographical Tom Sawyer like story. (You can visit Thomas Bailey Aldrich's home in New Hampshire!)

Despite not being a major work, Marjorie Daw was published in several languages. It's the tale of a man who fractures his leg slipping on a lemon peel. A friend tries to cheer the irritable man and distracts him from throwing books at his servant by sending letters about his neighbor's daughter, Marjorie. But the efforts soon backfire in a comedic string of events.

The Pretty Sister of José is another rare tale by the author of "A Secret Garden". It is four chapters long and written for young women. It's the story of two young adults who live a poor existence with their grandmother. The sister decides she will NEVER marry, not for love nor riches. Pepita is very pretty and attracts the attention of many men. She gives none of them a chance, and her brother warns her that this will only cause her eventual grief, someday she may wish for what she now rejects.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this update. I have some very fun articles planned that I’ll begin scheduling soon.