Welcome!

Let’s get this party started.

I thought that I should reintroduce myself since there are so many new folx following me.

Hey there. I’m Tripp Hudgins. I’m a middle aged, white, cis male type person who teaches in middle school in the Richmond, VA area. I’m a husband and father. We have two cats and a hermit crab.

For those who like a personality inventory, I’m an INFP and an Enneagram 9 (or 4; depends on the test and the day of the week). I am also an Aquarius. Cue theme music.

I am a musician (voice, mandolin, banjo, guitar, etc.) and writer. In 2004, I was ordained in the American Baptist Churches and have served three churches. But in 2015, I was confirmed in the Episcopal Church. It was a coming home of sorts as I was baptized at St. James the Less Episcopal Church in Ashland, VA in 1970. There’s more to this story, of course, but it was my love of liturgy that enticed me to return to the tradition of my birth and not a need to escape some conservative bubble. The baptists of my acquaintance are all left of Jesus. They are glorious people and sometimes I miss them a great deal. Still, we have made a home in the Episcopal Church and I am glad to be a part of it.

I am a novice in the Third Order Society of Saint Francis. That’s really new. I’m still coming to grips with all it means. That is a growing part of who I am.

I have three masters degrees. Why three? Well, there’s the M.Div., which is necessary for ordination. There is the Masters of Theological Studies (Liturgy) which got me started on my academic pursuits. Lastly, there is the Masters of Arts in Practical Theology (liturgy and ethnomusicology). It was supposed to be a Ph.D. but I was unable to get it done in time. So, yeah. That happened, too. Alas.

For the record I am a Type 2 diabetic and have Bipolar Disorder Type 2. I am fully medicated and doing quite well. Some people think I also have ADHD, but my therapist and psychiatrist disagree with that assessment. It’s great to be alive, but it also takes a lot of work sometimes.

So, what do I write about?

I write about how I experience the daily. Think of this substack as an epistolary, a collection of letters, missives, and post-its about being alive and finding grace in the little things like coffee, cats, my early mornings, and prayer. I write short essays. Ross Gay is a huge influence on my writing. These essays will cover a range of topics from personal memoir and spiritual reflection to some academic noodling. I hope you enjoy them and comment often.

I’ve not updated the podcast in a good long while. And I’m not sure if I’ll be podcasting in the future…at least not regularly. I will, however, be writing.

So, that’s what I got. Let me know if you have any questions. I’m happy to talk.

As always, be excellent to each other.