I think a couple of discrete but less-than-pleasant, kind-of-annoying trains of thought are turning my brain into a NutriNinja Blender lately (hold the nutrition)…so consider this week’s edition of Thursday Thoughts a big brain smoothie.
Woke up this morning, took a quick mental inventory, remembered “it’s only f-cking Thursday,” and rolled over for another hour. So I’m behind the 8-ball with writing this right now, but I’m also quite well-rested, and pleased with myself that I pushed reality off for a bit.
Repeating “I f-cking hate people” over and over isn’t really the best mantra but oh well. (I’m trying hard to choose a good mood but the truth is I’m ornery.)
The Patriots. Sigh. TBH, the season ended in a way that wasn’t that surprising, and maybe getting blown out by the Bills will be a bitch slap to Bill. In fact it’s hard to believe that team ever ran together a 7-game winning streak or sat atop the AFC East any point in time. I think that good fortune blinded us into seeing what we wanted to see, and the playoff game showed what was really there. They’re rebuilding, and Mac’s rock solid. We’re good. Speaking of Boston sports, the Bruins were looking good until the 7-1 shellacking they got on Tuesday at the hands of the ‘Canes. Hopefully Tuukka gets the hole in his stick taken care of. How many days do we have until Spring Training? (Celtics? Do they still play?)
I was having a discussion about DEI the other day and the woman I was speaking with noted that she wasn’t an expert on the subject, but, but, but…and so she approaches the subject like a scientist (which she is). By the end of the call it hit me—when it comes to matters of DEI, we’re all experts in being human, so if we all exercise that expertise with a bit more intent and discipline, we just may advance on this journey together.
One thing I like about saying “with all due respect” is knowing that the person I’m saying it to has no idea how much respect I think they’re actually due. (Beyond the bare courteous minimum, of course…because…Karma…and good manners are always in style.)
You know, Bob Saget sounds like he was a rock-solid dude. I hope people are funny and nice wherever he is now. (But in this interview I’m watching right now, it seems like Hoda Kotb’s sole intent is to make his widow cry. Settle, Hoda.)
Sincere thanks to those of you who encouraged me to walk away from that warped wall of a book I was trying to read. I’m no American Ninja Warrior; I was never gonna get over it. So I just walked around it, picked a fresh read off one of my piles, and lived to tell about it. Sweet relief.
You may or may not recall that I’m reading “No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention.” Anyway I was reading a section on travel and expense policy and it hit me—why would any company have a policy that has any two people traveling to the same event to work equally hard as one another yet flying in different classes of carriage? Because we have to earn the right to a good night sleep? What the hell? Hierarchy like that needs to go.
I found out that my favorite HS teacher (English and Humanities) died recently. She taught me to question, to think, to challenge, and to be respectfully irreverent in doing so. She also had a great laugh. But here I am thinking about and typing about her, so I suppose she’s still alive in some way.
With all the talk of The Great Resignation, do you think it’s just a matter of people catching on to what millennials seem to have known all along, that work is a means to an end and not THE thing that defines you? People have become much more multi-dimensional over time I think—they see themselves filling many more roles than banker or lawyer or encyclopedia salesperson and have many more fulfilling activities they want to focus on than earning a paycheck. Maybe people aren’t seeking more in moving along—maybe they’re seeking less.
At this point I realize that COVID is actually just a giant spotlight illuminating all the shitty parts of life that we were too busy to notice before. That plus too much time on our hands is no bueno right now.
Am I the only one who stops in my tracks when I see the picture of a smiling young person in the Obituary section…and has sadness turn to indignation upon learning that the decedent was 107 and the photo is 80 years old?
I hate it when I pour a cup of coffee and then immediately get distracted only to reunite several minutes later with my disappointingly and disgustingly lukewarm mug o’ java. I’ll microwave it if I must but let’s face it—that changes the taste of it completely. For that very reason, I have not poured my first morning cup just yet.
For fun, play a song on Spotify and go with the songs that follow. I’ve talked about it here before and I do it often…this week it started with “The Ghost In You” by the Psych Furs and it served me up some gems like “Never You Done That” by General Public, “Sick of Myself” by Matthew Sweet, and “No One is To Blame” by Howard Jones. Seriously sublime.
I’m sorry you’ve been dealing with COVID but can you do me a favor and set up your out-of-office autoreply so I can spend my time solving the problem vs alternating between waiting on you and hunting you down? (See “good manners are always in style.”). Communicate already.
What’s the over-under on how many weeks it will take for those free (too-little-too-late) COVID tests to arrive by mail?
The other day I was driving, and don’t even ask why I was thinking about this…but anyway what I was thinking about is that I have no idea how I actually ever burned mixed CDs. The mixed tapes, yes—from the radio, from an album, from another cassette, I remember it all, in its excruciatingly annoyingly satisfying glory. But burning CDs is like a black hole in the galaxy that is my memory.
Speaking of music, stand up and have a dance. I’m not kidding. It doesn’t even have to be dance music. Yesterday I danced to Rhymes and Reasons by John Denver and For All We Know by The Carpenters. Getting up and having a little dance is a surefire way to supercharge yourself with happy, positive energy.
Nothing makes me happier than when good things happen for good people and I love getting news of people I care about making happy progress…I got some such news this week and I’ve been smiling for days.
Why is it when you want to get something done and all you’re faced with is mediocrity or “can’t do” attitudes, some people still expect you to be extra-nice and mollycoddling and take exception to a “by any means necessary” approach? I mean, that mindset served Malcolm X well…until he got killed…but when did tough love go extinct?
Yesterday before I went to the gym I said “I can’t squat, step up, jump, row, or run today…my legs are dead.” The good news is that I didn’t have to squat, step up, jump, row, or run yesterday…the bad news is now I can’t move my arms either.
I love easy listening music, and have since I was a little kid…I was like a 7-year old with the musical psyche of a 65-year old…I guess one upside of aging is believing that at some point all the pieces are going to fit together and make sense. Or maybe it won’t. And who cares?
Lots of music-related thoughts this week (been trying to find my Zen with an assist from my headphones and Spotify)…when the Kenny Rogers and Sheena Easton cover of “We’ve Got Tonight” came out, I wanted no part of it. It was superfluous. Beyond unnecessary. But I heard it the other day and I gotta say…damn…Kenny is in fine voice.
Last one, also on music…the way Toto pronounces “Serengeti” to fit the melody in “Africa” is sheer genius. I’ve thought that for a long time. But last time I heard it it struck me different…as so much more…like, live your life on your terms…be a slave to the rhythm but not the melody. You do you. And since Grace Jones does “you do you” with the best of them, enjoy this oldie but goodie that feels appropriate:
Thanks for being here. I appreciate it more than you know. Happy Friday Eve.
Love you too. (Now to go pour that cup of coffee…)
I was going to say the same. I laughed at #12! Not sure if that was exactly the intent but I got a kick out of it. Thanks for another great note!
#12 🤣 I HATE that! Thank you for another awesome post.