The Paradox of Now

Pranks, Polaroids & Palm Tree Euphoria

Scott Mayo
January 31, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 8 minutes

THE MOMENT YOU'VE BEEN DREADING

Or maybe anticipating? Let's go with that.

Oh, look who finally showed up in your inbox! Yes, it's actually happening.

I know, I'm shocked too. And since you're already here... why not stick around?

These newsletters will be your new weekly companion. Think of me as that friend who shows up unannounced with weird stories and surprisingly deep thoughts.

I already am that person to my close friends and co-workers. You know who you are, and yes, I see those looks you give me.

Speaking of deep thoughts – I'm navigating the same 920 months on this planet as you are. And I’m just as clueless as anyone else about what to do with them.

The only difference is I’ve decided to document my confusion in newsletter form.

Lucky you.

Let me give you a taste of what's coming:

Andrew Garfield crying
Pranks and regrets
Polaroids and haikus
Something I'm calling "Palm Tree Euphoria"

🥚Eggstra News🥚

Your weekly dose of some fascinating finds:

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig: A profound exploration of life's infinite possibilities in a magical library between life and death.
Andrew Garfield's Modern Love Moment: Garfield read Chris Huntington's "Learning to Measure Time in Love and Loss", sharing a poignant reflection on life's limitations.
Seducktive the Duck: A delightful, whimsical account promising wholesome duck content that celebrates life's playful moments.

The Paradox of Now

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Special Offer for The Paradox of Now subscribers:
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I’m also on the following social media channels:

Message me on socials if you’d like to feature in this section. 🙂

Do you remember Barney Harwood?

Firstly, before we dive in - a quick word: I'm putting myself out there and being vulnerable to the world.

These newsletters will likely suck for the first year and maybe even beyond, but I'm willing to be a beginner on this journey that's far more than just writing a few words on a page.

I am not asking for sympathy as I've chosen my own struggles. But rather acknowledging how fortunate I am to have the privilege to choose my struggles - knowing there are many out there without that luxury.

Anyway, shut up Scott and get to the point.

So people keep asking if I have enough content for a weekly newsletter.

Well, between my journals, Notes app, LinkedIn profile and my Kindle Scribe, I’m sitting on over 1000 ideas already.

And that's not counting all the things I’ve yet to discover - which is infinite FYI!

Let's do some quick maths, shall we?

1000 ideas = 1000 weeks = 230 months

Now, the average human gets about 920 months on this spinning rock.

For the number nerds out there, that means my current idea bank could fill roughly a quarter of a human lifetime.

I've already used up 336 months myself, so... checks notes... I'll probably be pushing up daisies before I can write about everything swimming around in my head.

This realisation became the idea for this very first newsletter.

I was paralysed by choice.

And yet realising I could never produce all my ideas somehow freed me to just start writing.

I didn't have my beginning, but the awareness of my finite end became my North Star.

Here's the truth bomb: On your deathbed, there will still be unchecked boxes on your to-do list.

Unwritten stories. Untold tales. Paths never trodden. That's true for all of us.

But here's the plot twist – we get to choose our regrets.

I know I couldn't live with the regret of not sharing whatever wisdom I've stumbled upon, especially when so many people have reached out seeking answers to the same existential questions that keeps the sheep from being counted.

If this newsletter helps even one person, it's worth it.

So here's what I want you to take away: Find comfort in knowing you'll never finish it all.

That's not something to fear – it's liberation.

It means you can focus on what truly matters to you.

Take a moment today. Think about which regrets you're willing to live with and which ones you absolutely couldn't bear.

Then take one small step – just one – toward the life that aligns with that choice.

Wow, Scott. Pretty heavy stuff for what was supposed to be a light-hearted take on life, right?

All this talk about death and finite existence?

Well, guess what...?

YOU'VE BEEN PRANKED!

PRANKED BY THE PRANK PATROL!

PRANKED BY BARNEY AND HIS NINJAS!

But in all seriousness, stick around for the journey ahead. This is just the beginning, and while I promise not to prank you all the time, I can't promise we won't go deep.

Because sometimes the best conversations start with a laugh and end with a thought that changes everything.

Haiku’s Haiku 🐥

Meet Haiku, our resident duck poet:

Haiku 1

The first of many,

But there will be a last time,

Seek comfort in that.

Palm Tree Euphoria 🌴

Let me introduce you to a game that will revolutionise your car journey’s and hikes with friends forever.

It's exactly like 'Word Association', except it's nothing like it at all.

The rules?

When it's your turn, you just blurt out whatever random thought is living rent-free in your head at that moment. No cheating, no thinking – pure unfiltered chaos.

The winner?

Whoever makes everyone stop and laugh the hardest at their mind's absurdity the most.

"But Scott, why is this even here?"

Excellent question! (chef's kiss)

Here's the thing – I pride myself on slightly unhinged conversational skills.

My liver quivers when a conversation starts:

"So... weather, huh?"

Or the dreaded exchange of doom:

"You ok...? Yeah good thanks, you...? Yeah, good." (liver quivering intensifies)

This is my weekly gift to you: pure, unfiltered discoveries about people, weird questions that pop into my head, and a general peek into how my brain functions.

The mission?

To inspire you to go find the others out there. To ask the unusual questions.

To start conversations that actually matter (or at least entertain).

Best case scenario? You forge genuine connections that stick around.

Worst case? You get a laugh and push your comfort zone a little further out.

Trust me, it works. I'm living, breathing proof of this slightly chaotic method.

Last week, for example, I found out someone I work with has worked at the back end of a bowling alley!

How cool is that? And it’s not even a euphemism!

So here we go, the very first Palm Tree Euphoria (we’ll start gentle):

“Which letter in the alphabet do you think tastes the best?”

An answer for both uppercase and lowercase is recommended.

And if this flavour of brain chaos makes your brain happy, come and find more insights, weirdness, and everything else in between on my socials.

See you dashing ducks over there!

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