Thanks For Something

Some things don't change even when the world does

Nov 21, 2020

I went to grab dinner with a friend in historic Clifton near my home the other day. The bar was basically empty, and the staff mainly stood in corners watching whatever football game was on the TV so it wouldn’t be too obvious they weren’t working. In their defense, what was there really there for them to do?

Stuck in a similar trance, I drank my Jack & Coke and watched the game too as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. I’m not a sports person at all, I can’t tell you who was even playing. The one time I felt like getting involved in a new hobby I thought about getting a season pass to go see the XFL’s DC Defenders, but then COVID happened.

It just felt good to see something different on TV for once that was real, that was actually happening in real-time and wasn’t any political.

Watching football on TV and seeing a stadium with no fans felt weird, almost as weird as sitting in an empty bar knowing that restaurants and bars might end up closing again soon when and if another round of lockdowns occur as we brace for the “dark winter.”

We traded liberty for fear, culture for political theater, and damned tomorrow for the sake of today. I’ve never been so thankful to watch a game of football in my life, and now I’ll never take meaningless enjoyment for granted ever again.

This made me think about the year I’ve had. How I went from working in the newsroom at The Washington Times fighting for real news to working remotely for Parler and taking the fight for free speech to a new level. How I started my new podcast On The Run hoping for it to be a travel show, only to end up being a show where I really take a big look at the question of life itself. How because of isolation and boredom, my good friend and mentor Marc Clair and I started a show about comic books right when printers stopped printing, comic shops started shutting down, and all our favorite movies got delayed, only to re-discover why we loved these stories and characters in the first place.

Movie theater, bowling, and golf nights with the guys turned into beers on the front porch. Vacations to new places turned into trips to see old friends with my girlfriend. My old morning work commute turned into morning walks with my dog. A job became a passion, hobbies became tools to grow, and a year of challenges because a year of opportunities.

My overall health has improved, my relationships are tighter, my goals are clearer, my fears are smaller. My family is safe. I take nothing for granted, this is all a gift from God.

Take account of your life, appreciate the gifts of fate, the fruits of your labor, and another day to walk the earth.

“Sometimes even to live is an act of courage.” ~Seneca

Featured image from Unsplash.com

The dumbest thing I read

Sometimes I come across something so dumb, I have to share it with you to make sure I’m not the only one thinking this is:

Centrist “brunch” Democrats are invoking Obama-era politics of unity and compromise, believing this rosy vision will appeal to moderate voters. Meanwhile, progressives are arguing that voters and activists should push Biden and congressional Democrats toward the left, and not back away from policies like Medicare-for-all and the Green New Deal to appease a subset of swing voters.
The Trump presidency has facilitated brunch’s metamorphosis into a political and cultural touchstone. It’s not just a leisurely weekend activity but a shorthand for the political choices Democrats are forced to make under a Biden administration. Will they choose the known comforts of brunch (made available to a few), or will there be the potential for greater structural change?

You can read the rest at Vox.