55 Comments

Just love that you cyclically dismissed the rooster then realised he was a pin in the day and the bay for tat community; without the response, he was ‘just’ a mad man in the water. Made me think about our responsibility to reply, show up and comment. To howl back.

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fuck yes. The response alchemised his actions into a mutual understanding. It gave them weight. Howling back is our responsibility but I think it's that it's also our chance to stake our claim on our feelings, on our existence. It's as much for us as it is for the recipient if that makes sense?

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Oct 18Liked by Annie Macmanus

Absolutely. I love that feeling of togetherness, like a gig or similar shared experience. But I hadn’t thought of it in terms of an online community. Given me a lot to think about.

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Made me think the same - I’m always reluctant or hold back from replying or commenting and I keep asking myself why? I’m going to start howling back too 🐺

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Me too! It means such a lot when people do too.

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Oct 23Liked by Annie Macmanus

I’ve only just joined Substack and I’m so happy to find you here! My children and I regularly howl at the moon when we can - I’m so aware that I’m often asking them to be quiet, but the need to make a loud affirming sounds is something undeniably liberating.

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Oct 23Liked by Annie Macmanus

I lived in a student house in Brighton in the early mid nineties. It was a house in a regency square of houses surrounding a garden square. Every evening a man wearing a David Ike-ish blue shell suit and carrying a classic tape boombox would appear in the garden square. He’d press play on the boombox, crank the volume and dance. Dance like no one was watching. He’d whoop, he’d holler but mostly he’d just dance. Every evening. Of course when we first saw him we all thought he was nuts. Why on earth would he be doing that? Until we realised that every evening, at least one window in every house on that square, someone was watching him, someone was waving at him, someone was moving with him, or full on whooping with him. He brought people together in the most freeing way. Yeeeooooow to him and your man in the water with the buoy. And thanks for being here.

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What a story and intro. Having recently turned 40, being in early motherhood at one end but a step mum to teens at the other, whilst navigating chronic illness and pain, the few years has been a while ride!

I actively seek out those who are banging their drum with their story to tell…to me it signals our base level desire, as you articulated, to being seen and heard.

When I shout back, IRL, sometimes it’s hit and miss how it lands…our society (I am learning) , especially on social media can can be very surface level, chit-chat and I’m someone who is best suited to the deeper conversations that you find at the end of the night as the sun rises, or when you’re fearful and you’ve experienced loss and living becomes all that more precious.

Substack is full to the brim with artists and creatives; seasoned and newly forming, and the one thing that brings us all together is community; the desire to create it and the desire to be part-of. I look forward to getting to know you more Annie and having not posted myself for a year, thank you for the permission slip to post at any time! The right people will always hear the right drum for them.

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Oct 18Liked by Annie Macmanus

That made me grin, what a bonkers but brilliant dawn ritual that place has.

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Oct 23Liked by Annie Macmanus

Being human, being part of something bigger than ourselves, being seen, heard and valued, exploring our identity and our continuous “becoming”. All the stuff that matters in life and takes me down all the rabbit holes here on Substack. thrilled to have you here, Roosters rock.

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Bloody love it - our only constant is change - navigating our way through requires some fixed points - the question is how do we choose them…? Perhaps we could all try the morning howl and see who or what answers - birds? Dogs? Trees? All saying - ‘yes, you are there. We see you.’ Thanks for sharing this Annie - we are curly kin. K

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Even if it’s just to HOWL together, that sounds like a good - and totally necessary - reason for a community. Yeeooowwwwwelcome to Substack Annie 💚

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I need a human rooster in my life, bring it on YEO!

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Probably one of my quickest subscriptions x 🎉🥳🐓

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YEEEEOOOOW. Welcome.

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YEEEOOOOOOOW back Amy xxx

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Oct 23Liked by Annie Macmanus

What a great story! I loved it! And look forward to reading your stories on here 💕

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Oct 23Liked by Annie Macmanus

That must have been a completely surreal and emotional experience in Port de Soller! Greetings from a fellow originally Irishperson living in Mallorca and delighted you‘re here!

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"I sound my barbaric yawp over the rooftops of the world." Backatcha Annie and the rooster. Good to see you here.

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Oct 22Liked by Annie Macmanus

This made me smile so broadly. I admire people like the human rooster, they take life firmly by the hand and twirl it around boldly and masterfully. Tomorrow I will also be bold….😃

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Oct 22Liked by Annie Macmanus

I literally whoooped when i listened to your last podcast episode and heard you mention joining Substack.

The solo episode you recorded earlier this year had me sending it to all my closest friends. I literally lay on the sofa and listened to it a second time to give it my full attention. I felt it deeply and am so grateful for your words. 🙏🏾

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