I woke up at 4:27 am today because I do stupid things. Some guy on TikTok has a life I wish I had and wakes up at 4:02 am every day. So, I decided to see what it is like to wake up at 4:27 am.
Dumb.
I couldn’t go back to sleep and didn’t want to do my normal 20-minute meditation because meditation is horrifically boring. So, I did what all success-minded people do…grabbed my phone and opened TikTok.
First up, a huge guy in an orange shirt making fishing lures.
I could hear him breathing heavily in and out as he used small pliers to make tiny fishing lures. His face was slightly sweaty and he didn’t say too much. His teeth were a mess. One looked like it was trying to jump out of his mouth and run away.
He cut some hair off a deer tail and wired it around a small fishing hook. Then he did it again. And, again. And, again.
“Five dollars each,” he would say every once in a while.
“Catfish, alligator gar, crappie, bass,” he would respond here and there.
I watched this dude make fishing lures for 15 minutes. He made at least 30 lures. I don’t fish. I don’t buy lures. I would rather eat a car tire than a catfish and am pretty sure I don’t want to be near an alligator gar.
I kept scrolling and landed on a video of two girls. One was speaking and the other didn’t have a face.
The girl with a face told the story. She found her sister, the girl without the face, laying on the floor after her ex-husband shot her with a shotgun. The girl without the face was wearing a prosthetic face. She, of course, is now blind and has to raise her two kids. She was wearing a prosthetic face which, she mentioned, is new. Normally she wears a bandana across her face.
I watched five of her videos.
Yesterday I interviewed a guy in south Georgia who has worked at Burning Man for the past 10 years or so. He watched a dude run into the actual burning man fire a few years ago. Then he watched the dude’s friend run in after him. One guy survived. One didn’t.
He told me stories about Komodo dragons, working at an illegal marijuana farm, and a short-lived baseball career.
Three amazing people with qualities I wish I had.
The huge guy absolutely loves making lures. His passion and skill radiated through the live video. I wish I had his passion.
The faceless woman had a profound love for her life and her sister. She couldn’t speak very well but was completely alive and happy. I wish I had her spirit.
The Burning Man guy has a girlfriend who makes him flavored sparkling teas, a sauna in his backyard, and a job as a digital nomad allowing him to live all over the world. The stories he told were mesmerizing. I wish I had his freedom.
Aren’t people amazing?
Trey
TREY’S THREE THINGS
THINK
I wonder if I could train myself to only eat one meal a day?
WATCH
The Bear on Hulu - one of the best shows I have seen in the past 10 years.
LISTEN
What To Eat & When To Eat For LONGEVITY | Dave Asprey - podcast that reframes ‘fasting’ and gives excellent sleeping hacks including raising the head of your bed six inches to sleep like a baby.