John Weidenfeller

Growing up, having nine lives meant one thing: you did something stupid and walked away. A car wreck. A close call. A bad decision that somehow didn't stick. It meant you got lucky. Full stop.

That always felt like a waste of a good metaphor.

Somewhere along the way I half-heard an interview — I was convinced it was Marissa Mayer, or maybe Shonda Rhimes. Whoever it was, I caught maybe 30 seconds of someone talking about living multiple lives at once. The idea just lodged itself. I've never been able to track down the original quote. At this point I'm not sure it matters — the version that's been living in my head has become its own thing.

Here's my version: we don't live nine lives in sequence. We live several simultaneously. Not careers. Not phases. The deep interests, obsessions, and histories that run in parallel and together make up who you actually are.

I've identified five of mine. Technology & AI. Music. 2 Wheels. Family. Travel & Adventure. They're all here on this site — each one gets its own space.

That leaves four lives unwritten.

I think that's the point. Plenty of life left.