Andrew Zuckerman — of recent wisdom and bird renown — on what he trusts:
I trust my elders. I trust the Ladd Brothers. I trust my Italian grocer. I trust my tailor. I trust Locanda Vini e Olii. I trust Claire Oswalt. I trust Chiara Clemente. I trust my butcher. I trust Bill Withers. I trust short film. I trust my jewelers. I trust my architect.
I’m pretty taken with Andrew Zuckerman. So I was pretty taken with this particular webpage as well, he putting out there what he trusts — from elders to grocers to olive oil to Bill Withers. It wasn’t simply because immediately I trust some of the same. With simple statements, he seems to give license to me, to you, to look for trust in the ordinary.
Me, I trust my neighbors. I trust my playlist. I trust my coffee. I trust my train. I trust the Franks. I trust Qing Qing Chen. I trust Jeff Kirsch. I trust little-known places. I trust my cello. I trust showing up. I trust my far-flung collaborators.
Here’s the thing. I need to trust what gets me up, what gets me inspired, what gets me where I’m going, the spaces only I know about, and what others tell me, what I eat, and what others serve me, what I make, and what I make with others every day.
He says it best:
My life is fueled by relationships based on trust. I need to trust the work that I make, the space I inhabit, the food I eat, the clothing I wear, the art I experience, and most importantly my collaborators in these pursuits.
And that, after all, is all there is. Thanks, Andrew. Now go take another look at those birds.