Ladies and Gentlemen,

Welcome to the inaugural newsletter of The Don Dispatch.

Some of you I’ve known my whole life, some for a portion of it, and some I’ve never met in the real world. All are welcome.

This will be an interesting outlet because the "me" you may perceive exists from a fixed point in time. Who I am today is likely recognizable in some ways, yet different in many others. I’ve spent the majority of my adult life traveling, embedding myself in new places. This has allowed me to shed parts of myself that I dislike while adding more of what I admire and aspire to be.

Many people in my traveling days know me through my association with Texas. This is interesting—especially to those I grew up with—because I wanted nothing to do with Texas culture as a kid. My parents weren’t from Texas, so they never passed down its traditions to me and my siblings. I thought country music was shit, so I steered away and wouldn’t dare don a cowboy hat. And yet, in my travels, I grew to love this part of myself—or at least, the idea of what it means to be Texan:

Much to share, my friends (and perhaps a former lover or two). You may be inspired. You may be angry. I don’t give a damn. If you enjoy it, that’ll make me smile.

We’ll see how this evolves, but I plan to keep this raw and open—like a journal I can look back on.

I’ll leave you with one quote that has perhaps been my greatest teacher and is always worth coming back to:

Much love to you, my fellow Dons. May you have an excellent rest of your week.

The Don Rob