I Wish High School Me Knew Anything Was Possible

Substack family,

I plan to have one post per week to align with my podcast episode schedule. But I’m three weeks into the Podcast, so I’m catching up.

I’m still in my Airstream near Stowe, and it’s still raining. What better time to do this? Abby is working at the table across from me today. Gus is getting some alone time at the foot of the bed, and Frank is at my feet, chewing on a corn-on-the-cob toy.

Today, as I catch up, I’m sharing my intro notes for the podcast, the YouTube recording, and the original essay in this post. I promised behind the scenes, so here you go.

All of my essays are written by me personally without the use of AI. That said, many of my essays receive considerable feedback from editors and go through rounds of revision. I also use Grammarly, an AI-enabled solution, to check grammar. It’s also great at finding typos. I’m using it right now.

I’ll never write an essay using AI, but I do use ChatGPT as a tool, just like any other resource. I used to go to the library and search newspapers using a microfiche. That was a tool. I use Google. And I use AI. The intro notes below were generated by ChaptGPT based on a bulleted list I fed it.

That’s my behind-the-scenes for the day.

Enjoy the notes, video, and essay.

Andrew

🎙️ Intro Notes for “I Wish High School Me Knew Anything Was Possible”

• Open by acknowledging feedback:
  • “I’ve gotten a few notes from folks who watched the first episode…”
  • Mention you’ll screen share less, keep the camera on you more
  • Clarify the misunderstanding: you weren’t asking for someone else to read your essays—just brainstorming business model ideas where a host or guest might play a different role
• Transition to essay setup:
  • Reflect on discovering Medium publications — you didn’t know what they were at first
  • Submitting to them helped you grow as a writer
  • Rejection and heavy edits were some of your best learning moments
  • Express gratitude for the editors who made your best essays better
• Set the tone for the essay:
  • This one is personal
  • It's a reflection on missed possibility, self-reinvention, and pursuing a path that wasn’t handed to you
  • Tie in podcast themes: authenticity, nonattachment, self-study

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Read the essay on Medium: I Wish High School Me Knew Anything Was Possible

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Originally published: 24 May 2025 on Substack