Jeremy Wilson

I just want Terry Gross to ask me about my childhood. @pairedupstories

[Paired Up Stories @pairedupstories]

I was paired up at the muni with Jim, a former hitchhiker who pursues life in one direction: forward. And fast.

But at 74, he seemed stuck on three crossroads from his past.

“A Hitchhiker’s Guide to Regret” (4-min read): https://t.co/XN5HErQCeq

[Paired Up Stories @pairedupstories]

I play golf with strangers and write about them. I almost always find something positive in their story. Almost...

But then I was paired up with Harvey (free, 6-min read): https://t.co/vVz7Jl8DsG

[Paired Up Stories @pairedupstories]

A short essay on returning to golf after 20 months off, pitching to literary agents, and The Bachelor's 2015 season.

Back in the game: https://t.co/nCgJXp4Fl8

[Paired Up Stories @pairedupstories]

20 months ago I was assaulted on the sidewalk in Los Angeles and had a rare, emergency elbow surgery.

Today I played my first round of golf since. What a feeling!

[Paired Up Stories @pairedupstories]

The first time I saw a recurring dream unfold later in reality, it spooked me. When it happened again recently, I decided to investigate.

What were they trying to tell me, and why were they always about golf?

Story: https://t.co/jUQzt8Hqz2

[Paired Up Stories @pairedupstories]

I was assaulted by a stranger in Los Angeles leading to emergency surgery. On the one year anniversary, I battled uncertainty amidst an unfolding story.

Personal essay (free): https://t.co/ljWIaXDtDW

[Paired Up Stories @pairedupstories]

Meet Rick, a man who should be dead. “Doctors called me their miracle patient,” he told me at a Las Vegas muni.

A short story on scotch, gambling, and how different generations process trauma: https://t.co/yvCoWLnsrd

[Paired Up Stories @pairedupstories]

Muni of the day… Dixie Red Hills Golf Course in St. George, Utah.⁣
⁣
-30 minutes from Zion National Park⁣
-9 holes, par 34⁣
-$21 (walking)⁣
⁣
Photo tour below 🧵

[Paired Up Stories @pairedupstories]

I never know how to share stories here that aren’t about golf with strangers at munis.

But living for a year in a 20ft van with a significant other can lead to some dark nights of the soul.

Here’s one of those nights: https://t.co/mYgB9zBGac

[Paired Up Stories @pairedupstories]

When traveling the country in my camper van, I met a Canadian man in Alabama on his own quest.

The retired firefighter was golfing in all 50 states, but with one course caveat: there had to be a mall nearby.

Why? Short story here: https://t.co/kE3gWxpSWZ

[Paired Up Stories @pairedupstories]

What a setting for municipal golf.

More photos from Papago here: https://t.co/9hnm1Moaky

[Paired Up Stories @pairedupstories]

For years I let my outside environment direct my decisions… which career to pursue, homes to buy, etc.

Jessica, who I met in Phoenix, did the same. But after 25 years of corporate monotony, she’s itching to live life from the inside out.

Her story: https://t.co/9hnm1Moaky

[Paired Up Stories @pairedupstories]

I was paired up with an intoxicated man in Arizona who was convinced I was @shanebacon, no matter what I told him.

But this over-served stranger pressed on an unhealed area I had avoided.

Short read: https://t.co/d2EILGakVQ

[Paired Up Stories @pairedupstories]

I’m telling stories about strangers I golfed with while traveling to all 50 states.

So far we’ve met…
Alan in Truth or Consequences, NM
Art in Pensacola
George in El Paso
Jim in Augusta
and Shorty in Charleston.

Stories drop every Sunday morning: https://t.co/t3H0qQiwye

[Paired Up Stories @pairedupstories]

This is Shorty. He’s 90 (!) and still works five days a week as the starter at the Charleston Muni.

“I think this job is what keeps him going,” coworkers say.

A short story on Shorty and what we give our energies to: https://t.co/0P56B0ARGy

[Paired Up Stories @pairedupstories]

He was the fastest golfer I’ve ever played with. The reason behind it was fascinating.

Remembering Jim Dent, who I was randomly paired up with in Augusta on my 50-state muni tour. A short story from our round together: https://t.co/21TlP09zFA

[Paired Up Stories @pairedupstories]

This is George. He was taught that there are two things in life: work and work. Then it was taken away.

After our random pairing at his muni on the Mexico border, I saw the perils in rooting your identity in something tangible.

A story on his evolving identity: https://t.co/aaDRzLabka

[Paired Up Stories @pairedupstories]

Meet Art. He wasn’t allowed on golf courses because of the color of his skin.

Now, over 50 years later, he helps keep his local muni afloat.

A short story on the importance of seeing new possibilities: https://t.co/qXU1mp6s1T

[Paired Up Stories @pairedupstories]

This is Alan. I was randomly paired up with him in Truth or Consequences, NM.

A retired mechanic and war veteran, we had little in common. Then he ignited a universal bond.

A story on what it’s like getting stuck in a career because you’re good at it. https://t.co/KyKKuLCzgs

[Paired Up Stories @pairedupstories]

Coming this week on Substack.

Subscribe (for free) here: https://t.co/PDx28xQIxp