Cainan Barnett
Cainan Barnett
A Living Archive
82 thoughts preserved
The archive begins September 13, 2026 — the day social media died for me.
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The Garden Is Done With Me for the Year
There's something a little strange about looking at a garden in November after spending most of the year thinking about what should grow where. For months, everything has been about planting, watering, moving things around, watching for new growth, and figuring out what needs attention next.
November 6, 2026 · Thought
The Mind
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All thoughts →The Garden Is Done With Me for the Year
There's something a little strange about looking at a garden in November after spending most of the year thinking about what should grow where. For months, everything has been about planting, watering, moving things around, watching for new growth, and figuring out what needs attention next.
Maybe People Are Just Tired of Being Lied To
I stayed up looking at election results, and I honestly couldn't believe some of what I was seeing. Democrats winning in places that haven't elected one in generations. States that have been reliably Republican for decades suddenly looking very different.
They Don't Get to Have the Rest of Me
I've decided to stop looking for the documents about my childhood. I've spent months trying to track down court records, abuse reports, and anything else that might explain what happened when I was four years old.
After Four and a Half Years Sober, I Finally Feel Sane
I don't think I realized how bad I actually felt until I started feeling better. That's a strange thing to say after spending so many years trying to manage my mental health, but it's probably the most accurate way I can describe what's been happening over the last month.
There Are People Who Have Never Seen Me Drink
I've been sober since April 4, 2022. I'm approaching five years now, which is a strange thing to say because I can still remember when making it through a weekend without drinking felt like a pretty significant accomplishment.
Transactions Aren't Experiences
I have a question for practically every business in America. When did buying something become an experience? Because apparently, I can no longer walk into a store, purchase what I need, and leave without somebody wanting to know how the experience made me feel.
Why the Hell Are We Still Working Like It's 1926?
It's 2026, and you can sit at a desk surrounded by computers, with multiple 32-inch monitors, dozens of browser tabs, several artificial intelligence systems processing different instructions simultaneously, and images rendering while you're working on something entirely unrelated.
I Wish I Had Been Sober Before My Boys Were Born
There's something I've been struggling to put into words lately, and I think it's because I'm only now beginning to understand what it means. I wish I had gotten sober before my children were born. Not a few months before, or even a year before, but five years before.
I Think We've Made It Too Expensive to Be Poor
I've been thinking about something that seems completely backward when you really examine it. We live in a country where having more money often allows you to pay less for the things you need, while having less money can force you to pay more for those exact same things.
We Have More Information Than Any Generation in History. Why Are We So Easy to Fool?
I can sit on my couch and access scientific research, historical documents, medical journals, government records, and more information than I could possibly consume in several lifetimes. If somebody makes a questionable claim, I can usually begin investigating it within seconds.
The More Certain Someone Sounds, the More Questions I Have
I've noticed that the people who sound the most certain about something aren't necessarily the people who understand it the best. Sometimes they're incredibly knowledgeable, and their confidence is justified with a piece of knowledge from schooling, residencies or experience.
Apparently, Eight-Year-Olds Can't Manipulate Anyone
I had a conversation with my son's therapist today that left me wondering whether we've reached a point where we're so afraid of using certain words that we've started denying perfectly ordinary aspects of human behavior. I was told that children aren't capable of manipulation.
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Oct 18, 2026
Why the Hell Are We Still Working Like It's 1926?
It's 2026, and you can sit at a desk surrounded by computers, with multiple 32-inch monitors, dozens of browser tabs, several artificial intelligence systems processing different instructions simultaneously, and images rendering while you're working on something entirely unrelated.
Wander againOn this day
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“This is not a record of what I know. It is a record of what I thought, questioned, feared, discovered, believed, misunderstood, changed my mind about, and hoped for while I was here.”