LET THEM, LET YOU, OR LET ME?

The Let Them Theory book has a lot of lets in the letters.

My favorites are the parts that address my problems, which come with a writing habit from what I can tell.

Will I discover why I’m not a better writer?

Learn what I should have done by now, or find a lingering message to get over myself already?

My buddy recommended Let Them and I take his recommendations to heart. (Hey Ray)

Instead of looking for it on Amazon, I went to Powells.

They had a copy and I brought it home as fast as I could.

And gave it to my wife.

I’m very giving like that.

I Let Her read it first, sneaking in a few chapters when she puts it down.

I like what I’ve read so far.

 

 

It says I’m not the problem? Nope, not me. So far so good.

Tell me I’m not the problem and I’ll think you’re a genius.

You’re not the problem, either, but reading that doesn’t make me a genius for writing it.

Or does it?

 

 

So, what’s the problem?

I’ll tell you: the biggest problem is letting people off the hook on the consequences they’ve earned for fucking around.

By the rules we all sign up for, if we fuck around we’re supposed to find out.

You know, FAFO.

I’m sad to say I’m disappointed when the news reports an event, the police arrest a suspect, a jury convicts the perp, but it’s all for naught when everything gets tossed out on a technicality and the guilty walk free to offend again.

How can that be right? It’s disturbing in the same way I see cars running stop lights at will with no ticket where I’ve been ticketed.

Let Them is a comfort.

 

Don’t Let Them?

Mamas, don’t let your babies grow up to be cowboys
Don’t let ’em pick guitars or drive them old trucks
Let ’em be doctors and lawyers and such

 

There are many jobs between guitar picking truck drivers, and lawyers and doctors and such.

Let Them says find the one for you and don’t let others’ opinions sway you.

They are not on your path.

I once told my dad I was going to be a writer. He asked, “Who said you could write?”

Let Them wasn’t written back then, or he might have had a different question.

Now, so many years later, so many thousands of posts over the decades, I let him ask his question.

Now I have an answer: I told me I could write, and that’s what I’ve done, what I do.

It’s not for everybody, but since I’ve received a load of his letters home from his time in Korea, I think I know why he asked about writing.

The old man was prolific.

He had a lot to say, but nothing about this link for you to click.

I think I know why: combat Marines do things they were trained to do, things that could make them a bad fit in polite society.

They fit better if they act like it never happened. Let Them is for them.

 

Let Them Is For All Of Us

Have you ever felt crippled by what you think people say about you, think about you?

Back in the days of teen romance you might have been crippled by some dad for bringing their daughter home late.

During college romance you might be crippled by their ex.

My girl dumped me for a guy in the dorm who had a new motorcycle, a Triumph Trident.

I felt bad when they crashed together like I hoped they would after getting dumped.

It wasn’t my fault, but I felt weird about it.

The guy lived down the hall.

I watched them ride off from my third floor window in Green Springs.

Then I saw them all scraped up, the bike in a twisted shape, and said I’d never wish ill of anyone again.

During your career you might feel crippled by a boss who doesn’t see your unique value.

We had a guy at work who used to be a regular Joe, then department head, finally a director, and he ignored everyone and everything except his advancement and the people who would pr0mote him.

He hurt a lot of feelings on staff and created animosity where none had been.

I saw him doing his job, not an easy job, and helping the department as much as he could, but there were other opinions.

“He’s a lifer and the only thing we can hope for is an early death.”

I reflected on the motorcycle crash and said, “You’d feel bad if he got sick and died.”

Then he got sick and died and everyone felt bad.

If Let Them had been around I would have let them feel as bad as they wanted.

A grand memorial and celebration of life helped.

 

PS:

From reddit: This book is targeted to the people who let others and their expectations (real or imagined) dictate their decisions. If that’s not you, then you’re not going to gain much from it.

I haven’t read it, but my wife is working on it. She’s exactly the kind of person who puts, in my eyes, too much stock in what others think (or what she thinks they think). I’ll have to ask her what she thinks of the book.

 

PSS:

In other reviews people say Mel Robbins is a grifter who stole the idea for Let Them from another author.

The reality is she wrote a book that people read and recommend, and others buy. I tip my hat to her.

Mel is taking the Let Them Theory wherever it might fit, which is good marketing.

It might fit you.

What to do if your friends and neighbors have a negative reaction when you talk about it, and ‘millions of people can’t stop talking about The Let Them theory?”

Let Them.

 

If you don’t understand him and he don’t die young
He’ll probably just ride away

 

Let them.

 

Mamas’ don’t let your babies grow up to be cowboys
‘Cause they’ll never stay home and they’re always alone
Even with someone they love

 

Let them.

 

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