The day I stopped giving a ____. Celebrating my Sixth Month Anniversary

of no longer caring if people return my emails or texts. I used to give “them” three tries. Then two. And now, maybe two, but usually just one try.

Does this look familiar?

“I’m sorry I didn’t get back to you. I’ve been really busy.”

Everyone is busy.

I knew it was a big problem for many of us, but it wasn’t until I saw that a well-known, established composer is experiencing this same thing. . They’re someone you would know instantly. Someone, if they wrote to you, you would respond immediately.

It’s clearly an epidemic.

Of course there are exceptions. But, I now make those exceptions selectively when I realistically believe there could be powerful collaboration in the future.

Sometimes, I write, asking “Please tell me what I need to do differently to hear back from you?”

Or, “I haven’t heard back from you. I hope everything’s okay. Please tell me what you think about my previous email message.”

Someone once suggested: “I’m disappointed that I haven’t heard back from you. I hope everything’s okay.”

I summoned the courage to try this last one a couple of times, and I got an immediate response both times. Perhaps the “I hope everything’s okay” tempered the tone of “I’m disappointed.”

And then there was the time I left out a “k” in the email address and sent the message to a train conductor in New Jersey, instead of the conductor of an orchestra in Jacksonville, Florida.

Sometimes, I’ve experimented with the email subject line and headline for content I post on social media.

I’ve followed the advice of others to only state the facts, so that the reader clearly knows what the topic is. (I previously thought that it was too bland, and wouldn’t inspire interest or a click.)

I’ve tried being clever, mysterious, and alluring in the subject line with the goal of being intriguing — and to get an immediate click. (That seems to work too.)

“Time sensitive” in the subject line seems to have had some success,

As for the others, they’ve worked too. For each, it depends on the audience.

Who is your audience, the audience you want to reach? Making that question your starting point is the only solution I know of.*

On this, my six month anniversary, it’s clear that my mental health has improved, and that I have more time to focus on true, valuable relationships — where there is shared trust, integrity, and values.

Happy anniversary to me.

When will you celebrate a similar anniversary?

* * * * ***

*Determining the audience is generally a good question to ask for just about everything you do…because all art is personal.

David SrebnikAugust 28, 2025Comment

The day I stopped giving a ____. Celebrating my Sixth Month Anniversary

of no longer caring if people return my emails or texts. I used to give “them” three tries. Then two. And now, maybe two, but usually just one try.

Does this look familiar?

“I’m sorry I didn’t get back to you. I’ve been really busy.”

Everyone is busy.

I knew it was a big problem for many of us, but it wasn’t until I saw that a well-known, established composer is experiencing this same thing. . They’re someone you would know instantly. Someone, if they wrote to you, you would respond immediately.

It’s clearly an epidemic.

Of course there are exceptions. But, I now make those exceptions selectively when I realistically believe there could be powerful collaboration in the future.

Sometimes, I write, asking “Please tell me what I need to do differently to hear back from you?”

Or, “I haven’t heard back from you. I hope everything’s okay. Please tell me what you think about my previous email message.”

Someone once suggested: “I’m disappointed that I haven’t heard back from you. I hope everything’s okay.”

I summoned the courage to try this last one a couple of times, and I got an immediate response both times. Perhaps the “I hope everything’s okay” tempered the tone of “I’m disappointed.”

And then there was the time I left out a “k” in the email address and sent the message to a train conductor in New Jersey, instead of the conductor of an orchestra in Jacksonville, Florida.

Sometimes, I’ve experimented with the email subject line and headline for content I post on social media.

I’ve followed the advice of others to only state the facts, so that the reader clearly knows what the topic is. (I previously thought that it was too bland, and wouldn’t inspire interest or a click.)

I’ve tried being clever, mysterious, and alluring in the subject line with the goal of being intriguing — and to get an immediate click. (That seems to work too.)

“Time sensitive” in the subject line seems to have had some success,

As for the others, they’ve worked too. For each, it depends on the audience.

Who is your audience, the audience you want to reach? Making that question your starting point is the only solution I know of.*

On this, my six month anniversary, it’s clear that my mental health has improved, and that I have more time to focus on true, valuable relationships — where there is shared trust, integrity, and values.

Happy anniversary to me.

When will you celebrate a similar anniversary?

*** *** *** *** ***

*Determining the audience is generally a good question to ask for just about everything you do…because all art is personal.

* * * * ***