The Taoist Online: A Dream Come True

The more we earn, the more we must give back to those who deserve it.

Photo by Billy Huynh on Unsplash

As a kid, I used to pretend I was the boss. I’d hear Mom and Dad speak about the “boss” who kept telling them what to do daily at work. Could I be the boss one day and spend my entire day ordering people around the office? It turns out that yes, I can. Not in the way their managers used to call them around, but very much so as a boss nonetheless.

I’ve written about creating The Taoist Online before, but I wanted to spend a moment and convey what I want to see in the organization’s future. This won’t be a long article, so I hope you’ll stay with it and leave a comment when you’re done.

If I had to pick a founding date for TTO, the day I purchased the domain name would suffice: January 14, 2023. That means in a short two months, we will celebrate our first birthday. I remember my children turning one and reflecting on everything I’d accomplished as a parent. So, too, will I reflect this January on everything I’ve accomplished as the leader of an all-volunteer organization. I pay the editing team monthly tips and try to tip writers who create excellent work. I wish I could give so much more.

In the future, I dream that TTO will take on investment and turn it into a real business. But we are so far away from that future that it seems impossible to reach. However, today seemed impossible nearly one year ago. So, perhaps nothing is impossible. We must be lucky, solve our problems delicately, and stay friendly to everyone.

I was recently promoted from Manager of Customer Support to Sr. Manager of Customer Support, and the extra pay should allow me to support my editors, tip my favorite writers, and pay for the Substacks I subscribe to. Of course, I’m a father with a wife and three nearly-teenage children, which comes with its price tag. Christmas has been more expensive than we wanted because my student loan payments start again before my paychecks increase. Ironically, as my government demands more money from me, I’m given more money from my job. Life has a funny way of syncing.