It's been a couple weeks since the last edition and I want to be upfront about that. Momentum stalled a bit. But I'm here and I want to get back on your radar because the next gathering is coming up and I want to see you there.

I'm still very much in the ideation phase of what Sound Life Philly becomes. But one thing is getting clearer with every conversation I have with people in this community: the most valuable part of this is getting the right people in the same room.

What I've noticed is that the common thread among the people showing up is high agency. People who are building rather than spectating. People who are willing to do the unpopular thing if they believe it's the right thing. People who are interested in connecting, personally and professionally, with others who are on the same page.

So that’s why we’ll be getting together on June 11th, details below.

The next gathering will be just about a week away - Wednesday, June 11th at 6pm at Jasper's Backyard in Conshohocken, PA.

We had a great group out at the last one. If you've been to one before, you know what to expect. If you haven't made it out yet, this is a good time to start.

If you know someone in the area who fits the description above, bring them along.

And if you're planning to join us, reply to this email or shoot me a text so I can get a headcount.

On June 7, 1776, a Virginia delegate named Richard Henry Lee stood up in Congress and said the thing everyone had been thinking: these colonies are, and ought to be, free and independent states. Four days later, Congress appointed five men to put it in writing.

The Committee of Five was chosen on June 11, 1776. Thomas Jefferson of Virginia, John Adams of Massachusetts, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania, Roger Sherman of Connecticut, and Robert Livingston of New York. One from each of five different colonies, deliberately spread across regions so the declaration would have broad support.

The committee chose Jefferson to write the draft. He was 33 years old and didn't have anywhere near the reputation of Adams or Franklin. But when he offered the job to Adams, Adams turned him down and gave him three reasons. First, you're a Virginian and Virginia should lead this. Second, I'm obnoxious, suspected, and unpopular. Third, you write ten times better than I can.

So a 33-year-old wrote the most important document in American history because a 40-year-old had the self-awareness to step aside, and a 70-year-old Franklin was willing to play editor instead of lead author. Three men who could have let ego get in the way, and instead they deferred to whoever was best for the job.

There's also Roger Sherman, who might be the most underrated founder of all of them. Sherman was a cobbler with no formal education. Entirely self-taught. He became a lawyer, a judge, and a politician, and he's the only person who signed all four of America's founding documents: the Articles of Association, the Declaration, the Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution.

Our gathering is also on June 11th. Same date, 250 years later. I keep finding these and I promise I'm not making them up. Five men were assigned to a room to write the Declaration of Independence. We're getting together at a bar in Conshohocken. Not quite the same stakes but let’s have a cold one in honor of our Founding Fathers.

If you haven’t done so already, 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.

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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