Acknowledgments

Hey,

Welcome back — Me again.

Thought you were done hearing from me, didn’t you?

Nah.

I ran out of time yesterday. Had to deal with some soccer things that pulled me away from writing this.

Damn.

A 99-yard kickoff return just to trip at the one-yard line. Guess I’ll have to start over.

Kidding… but — I must say — not needing to write today did feel a bit bittersweet. Maybe I’ll be back sooner than I think.

Just wanted to take a moment to acknowledge a few people:

Eli. I couldn’t — more importantly, wouldn’t — have done this without you pushing me outside my comfort zone. Thank you for creating Rally and for helping me build this space.

My brother, Aidan. I like to think I’m a solid writer. Over the past month, a few people reached out to commend me on my writing — some more surprised than I would’ve liked, but hey, I’ll forgive them.

That said, I’d be remiss to say I did this on my own. More than once, I found myself sending drafts to my brother Aidan — a writer by trade — for help and editing when I was stuck. You should check out his writing and creativity; here’s his website. Thanks, big man.

My mom, Trish. Like Aidan, she was an incredible proofreader and editor. But more than that, she was a sounding board. On the tough days, when I was struggling, she was there to listen. Love you, mom!

Lastly, to everyone who engaged with an entry — thank you.

Yesterday, Eli responded to Cheech, saying how great her comment was. Cheech has been dropping wisdom in the comments all month. Eli even added a quote from her to his notes app. I did the same a few weeks ago.

There has been so much creativity and insight throughout this challenge. Yes, some from me — but more from you.

I’m really proud of this space and excited to see where Rally and Rally Words go.

Special shout-out to Cheech, Henrik, Ladd, and Michael who commented nearly every day. And to Rundy and Rebecca who popped in with remarkable long-form wisdom on occasion, but added something beautiful each time they did. And honestly, there are too many people to name. Every one of you has helped shape this space. Rally Words wouldn’t be the same without you, and I’m extremely grateful.

Lastly — Substack is awesome. A shining example of what social media should be. I hope we all keep reading more.

Appreciate you being here and hope to chat to you soon,

Rory O.

Rally On.