Hey Reader,

I have a dear friend who won't say "I hope you're well."

He says "I trust you're well." He'll say "I trust you had a good weekend." He's clear about why, and I can feel the difference.

Hope has something earnest in it. A positive longing. I still like hope.

But trust has a confidence to it. An expectation. I think of a trust fall -- you don't know exactly when you'll get caught, but you're making the leap anyway. That's something more connected than just hope.

I've caught myself saying trust more (especially when I write him, since he made it so clear it's important to him). It changes the energy behind what's happening. Because the energy I've been bringing before this has been different.

I've been hoping for a lot of things in Audio Description.

Hoping professionals get credited for this work. Hoping awareness grows about what this work actually is, and what it isn't. Hoping people understand the difference between an immersive experience for blind audiences and something phoned in. Hoping we can hold a nuanced conversation about where synthetic voices belong and where they don't -- because there's no need nor interest in a human reading a blind person's text messages or scheduled appointments.

But hope keeps something at arm's length. It feels like delegating the outcome somewhere outside my responsibility. It's out there.

Trust is less passive. It feels more connected and expectant. And without the pressure.

So I'm trying it on.

I trust Audio Description awareness is growing. And I can support that.

I trust the performers doing this work will keep bringing their best when the opportunities come. And I support that.

I trust we can make these distinctions that matter, and grow this the way a rising tide lifts all ships.

If you're new here, welcome. If you've been around, thank you for sticking around. I want to reward your attention.

And if you want to discuss, I'd love to know from you, do you say trust, or do you say hope? What might I be missing?