Here’s a collection of some of the things from this week that I’ve enjoyed, been inspired by, want to share, or are grateful for.
- Trying to fail. I think there’s room in life to not take something lightly while also not taking it seriously. Willem Dafoe’s idea of trying to fail – trying to make a bad painting or act poorly in a scene – is a way of gaining perspective. It’s a form of play – goofy, glorious, unpretentious play. We all take ourselves way too seriously from time to time and to me, this is a great remedy for that. At the very least, it’ll make life interesting for a moment.
- Hanging out with an old friend. It’s been quite awhile since I’ve intentionally made time to practice saxophone, but I made a point to start back on it this week. My chops are about as weak as I remember them being, but the joy of playing came back pretty quickly. Alto sax was my first musical instrument, starting back in third or fourth grade, so it’s been like reconnecting with part of my past too.
- Westworld. It’s pretty rare when you’re in the third season of a TV show and it’s still surprising you on a moment by moment basis, but this one is doing the trick. If you’ve never seen it, I’d suggest getting on the train for this one. Even though I like having some space in between episodes, this is pretty damn bingeworthy as well. (Not to be too self-promotional, but we’re recapping Season 3 of Westworld over at Free Range Idiocy and you can check out the first one here)
- Wrestlemania 36 Boneyard Match: The Undertaker vs. AJ Styles. Now, I didn’t want y’all thinking I was getting too sophisticated or anything, so this seemed like a good one to toss in. In case you don’t know, WWE has been holding matches in an empty arena because of social distancing, which also put a big crimp in their plans for Wrestlemania, which was supposed to be held in Tampa’s 70,000+ seat Raymond James Stadium. Instead, they went cinematic with a couple matches, and this was one of them. It’s not a standard match or high art, but it was a lot of fun.
- The Education Of A Coach by David Halberstam. A really good profile of Patriots head coach Bill Belechick, but also of his father Steve, who was a legendary coach and scout in his own right. Reading it today in post-Brady New England, it actually lends some perspective into where the team might be going and what motivates a person who has already made a damn good case for greatest NFL coach ever.
Hope you’ve enjoyed this. If you’re new around these parts, here’s some of my most recent posts to check out.