Alright, here we are. Week three. Hope you all had a wonderful Easter.

Excited for the first gathering tomorrow evening. I had been sitting on the Sound Life Philly idea for a while. It was a classic case of procrastination and feeling like certain things needed to be perfect before going live, which will never happen. So I'm excited to have it officially come to life tomorrow and start building this community one gathering at a time.

For those attending, don't expect much. It'll be a smaller turnout, it'll be informal, and I'll consider it a win if everyone enjoys good conversation and makes a new connection.

For those who can't join, I'd love any feedback you can share. Just reply to this email and let me know how we can get you out to the next one. Was it too far away? Did it just not align with your schedule? Would you prefer something other than a happy hour? Let me know and I'll try to make it happen.

There's a lot of chaos in the world right now. When you constantly monitor the situation, it can feel hopeless, like the world is an evil place. This is exactly why I'm building this.

Focusing on what's directly ahead of you, building locally, and making connections with people who share your values and challenge your thinking. That’s where we can have an impact. You have very little control over what happens at the macro level. Even voting, you expect one outcome and get another. So if anything, this is a good reminder to focus on what you can control and build the life you want around you.

The first gathering will take place TOMORROW! Wednesday, April 8th at 6pm at McNally's in Chestnut Hill. Join us for a drink, a bite, and some good conversation.

If you think you’ll come by and haven’t let me know already, reply to this email so I know to expect you. And feel free to bring a likeminded friend who would enjoy being a part of what we are building.

I was doing some research for This Month in 1776 and came across something I previously didn't know. Like I told you in my first edition, I am far from a history buff and I just wanted to learn in real time while sharing interesting things with you all that tie back into the themes of the community we are building here. You may know all the details of what I'm about to share and if so you can tell me more over a cold one tomorrow.

Last week I wrote about Philadelphia's 120 taverns and the role they played in the spring of 1776. This week I want to head north out of the city, because in that same spring one of Philadelphia's most famous citizens was nowhere near a tavern. He was stuck on a frozen lake in upstate New York, writing what he believed might be his last letters.

In February of 1776, the Continental Congress, sitting in Philadelphia, had appointed Benjamin Franklin to a three-man commission with an audacious assignment: travel north and try to convince Canada to join the rebellion as the fourteenth colony. On paper Franklin was the obvious choice — the most internationally famous American alive, with years of diplomatic experience in London and a name that opened doors on both sides of the Atlantic. In every other respect he was the wrong man for the trip. He was 70 years old, suffered badly from gout, and had a comfortable home on Market Street and every excuse to stay in it. Nobody would have blamed him.

He went anyway. By mid-April he was in upstate New York, stuck waiting for the ice on the lakes to thaw, and on April 15 he sat down and wrote farewell letters. To his old friend Josiah Quincy Sr. he wrote: "I begin to apprehend that I have undertaken a Fatigue that at my Time of Life may prove too much for me, so I sit down to write to a few Friends by way of Farewell." He genuinely believed the trip might kill him.

It didn't, but it nearly did. He reached Montreal on April 29, watched the mission unravel for reasons mostly beyond his control, and turned for home on May 11, escorted back in failing health by a Catholic priest who had come along on the trip. He walked into Philadelphia in late May, half-dead. Two weeks later, Congress appointed him to the five-man committee that would draft the Declaration of Independence.

I keep coming back to how soft I am, and how soft we are as a society these days. A 70-year-old man traveling from Philadelphia to Quebec by carriage, river sloop, and open boat up the half-frozen lakes. That speaks to the mission, the courage, and the deep commitment Franklin and these men had to independence, liberty, and freedom.

And that two-week gap between "I may not survive this" and starting work on the founding document of this country, that's wild. A couple weeks ago I wrote that Paine's courage came partly from having nothing to lose. Franklin had a lot to lose, even potentially his life, and went anyway. It's a testament to finding the things that we believe in and having the commitment, courage, and conviction to do it.

Please reply to this email and let me know the following:

What part of the Philadelphia area are you in?
What are your favorite local spots — restaurants, farms, trails, taverns?
What would make this community useful to you?
I want to build the most valuable community, your input matters a lot.

Some of my friends like to poke fun of me for the raw milk, the farm visits, the whole thing about sourcing food locally. At least one of them will be at tomorrow's gathering, so consider this fair warning. That's okay. I can take it.

One of the things I've heard back from early Sound Life Philly members, and something I care about personally, is that people want to hear more about the farms, ranches, and agriculture in our corner of the world.

When I think about agency, I think about health as the cornerstone. It's the thing we actually get to decide on, day in and day out. I won't pretend to be the epitome of it. I probably know a lot more than I put into practice, and discipline is a muscle I'm still working on.

CSA season is starting up right now. You sign up once, and for the next several months a box of vegetables, and sometimes fruit, flowers, eggs, or more, shows up every week. You can meet the people growing it. You eat what's actually in season. You help strengthen your community.

I'm still building out my local sourcing routine here in Philly and will share specifics as I go. If you have a farm, market, or stand you love, reply and let me know.

Sound Life Philly is in its early stages, and your help growing it matters more now than it ever will later. If this resonated, forward it to someone in the Philadelphia area who should be part of this newsletter and community.

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