On quiet mornings

The first hour of the day, before anyone else has thoughts about my thoughts. That's the hour I keep for myself. Tea, a notebook, a window.

Most of what I write here will never be read by anyone. That feels right. The writing isn't for an audience — it's for the me who will read this in a year, blinking at how much has changed and how much hasn't.

"We do not write in order to be understood; we write in order to understand." — C. Day Lewis

A small ritual

• Boil water.
• Open the curtain by half.
• Write three sentences. They don't have to be good.

That last rule is the most important.