Ash Thoreau

I’ve come up with a new goal for my Midlife Challenge project — something that stresses me out just enough to push me outside of my comfort zone, but also sounds like it could be fun. Ultimately, it will help me grow.

I’m going to reach out to people I’d normally feel uncomfortable speaking to. This list will include a diverse range of people and entities — some familiar, some famous, and some completely unexpected. I might not love the responses I get, but the act of reaching out is progress in itself.

Here are a few examples of who I’m considering so far:

• A Friend from High School
• My Grandmother
• FujiFilm
• Steve Martin

There are more, but I’ll keep those to myself for now.

To ease into this goal, I’m starting with what feels like the least awkward option: FujiFilm. Since they’re a company full of strangers, I don’t feel as emotionally exposed, and I already have an idea of what kind of response I may get.

Here’s why I’m reaching out to them: I love photography — especially instant photography. I own more than 20 types of instant cameras, and I’ve built so many meaningful memories using them. But the cost of film makes it hard to keep the hobby going, especially while I’m trying to pay off debt. So I’m going to ask if they’d be willing to help support my journey in any way.

Maybe they’ll say yes. Maybe they won’t. Either way, I’ll have taken a step outside of my comfort zone — and that’s what this challenge is all about. The worst they can say is “no,” and I can handle that.

Anyways, I’ll be sharing an outline of all of my goals and plans later this week — maybe even tomorrow. I’m starting the challenge a little bit early to build momentum, but I probably won’t start posting reels to Instagram until August. Social media can wait a couple more weeks.