Building, Bread, and Unexpected Twists

This week’s editorial arrived with its own set of challenges. My mind is bursting with so many things to talk about that I feel like I simply don’t have enough paper to write it all down.

Lately, I’ve found myself thinking a lot about the twin forces of building and destruction.

We build so many things—a new story, a fresh idea, a visit to an old building, or the foundation of a new friendship. But on the flip side, there is also destruction: those moments when circumstances sweep in and seem to dismantle all the hard work we’ve put in. Somewhere inside that tension sits a story. There is a hidden meaning there that I am deeply curious about. I am following the thread of that idea, even if I haven’t quite figured out where it leads just yet.

Last week, I sat down and wrote a brand-new story—one I’m genuinely happy with. But finishing it made me look back at my older stories, wondering if there’s room for them to grow a little more. All in due time, I suppose. It’s all part of following an unexpected idea. It leaves me curious: Could I write a Part Two for all my stories, while keeping the same sudden twists and unpredictable turns?

That thought actually came to me while watching a few episodes of Reacher. The plot takes these completely unexpected turns—I love a good mystery that seems absolutely unsolvable right up until the twist hits, and somehow everything turns out right in the end. But more than that, it sparks that eternal question: What happens next?

And then, right in the middle of all these big thoughts, came something completely unexpected: a loaf of home-baked bread.

It was amazing—soft, fresh, and nothing like the mass-produced bread we usually buy from the supermarket. The very first bite took me straight back to my childhood. It tasted exactly like the unbranded, fresh-out-of-the-oven bread we used to buy from the small shop near my house growing up.

Naturally, it sparked my curiosity immediately: How on earth do I bake bread like this?

Honestly, I have no idea. But it brought me right back to the concept of building: What ingredients do I actually need to “build” the perfect loaf of bread?

And more importantly for today: What do I need to build the perfect editorial?

I think the answer is the same for both. It all comes from the heart and soul. Whatever happens around us—whether we are creating something new or picking up the pieces after a bit of destruction—we use our experiences to build, we lean into our curiosity, and then we have the courage to follow the unexpected idea wherever it decides to take us.

Welcome to this week’s issue of The Pineapple. Pull up a chair, slice off a piece of something fresh, and let’s see where the unexpected takes us this week.