This is my journal entry from August 8, 2025, part of my daily autobiography Author in St. Petersburg — my real, unedited days, published in order.
This morning I received a message on eBay from the buyer of the Ableton Push 3 I had shipped across the country. I had packed it hastily—two boxes, no padding—and one of the knobs broke off in transit. The buyer’s request was modest: a $15 refund. I issued $50 instead, acknowledging that the way I shipped it was careless. The experience was a valuable reminder that when I send something expensive—this device originally cost me $1,000—I should take the time to package it properly or pay a UPS store to do it. I appreciated the buyer’s kindness in not leaving a one-star review or demanding a full refund.
Later in the day, I learned from my mother that my brother had received the letter I sent declining his wedding invitation. According to my mom, he did not take it well. That’s all right. I know from experience that sometimes the hardest truths provoke anger or resentment before they sink in and spark change.
My ex-wife and I also had a deep conversation about her tendency to project negative traits onto me. She sometimes creates a version of me in her head that is unkind or threatening, and then reacts to that image rather than to who I actually am. I told her that in my mind, she is a loving, guiding presence. She is not someone I fear. I suggested she take ownership of those projections and recognize them as part of her own darker side—an internal narrative that paints others as persecutors while she plays the victim. I, too, have dark thoughts every day, from overeating to impatience to passing impulses I would never act on. The difference is that I own them as mine. I do not assign them to someone else in my head. That self-responsibility is freeing.
My daughter went to Legoland with her friend today. I gave her my business phone in case she needed us, and she sent pictures and updates throughout the day. She seemed to enjoy the independence. While she was away, a summer storm rolled in. My son and I made a trip to Whole Foods right before the heavy rain started, buying groceries together and enjoying the outing.
This morning I also played tennis with my coach, attended an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, and went to yoga. Another full and satisfying day in St. Petersburg, Florida.
If you connect with how I live and think, you can follow the rest of my days on YouTube in my Life playlist.