A Knockout

 

A few weeks ago, I decided to make a list of favorite films and see if I could find them to watch again.  I didn't have "When We Were Kings" in mind, but when I saw it on Netflix I knew I was in for a treat all over again.  Muhammed Ali is exactly who I need now to bring some inspiration into this grim moment.

At the end of the film,  George Plimpton tells this story: Ali is speaking to a large audience of students at Harvard.  Someone calls out: "Give us a poem!"  On the spot, Ali gives us the shortest, but deepest, effort: "Me, we."

Beautiful.

It's Difficult

 

Whenever I see a talking head or a celebrity on TV refer to “my mother,”  I smile.  Yes, we’re out here in audience-land.  Maybe on the downslope, but still capable of some influence.

Athletes are a special lot.  They credit their moms with saving their lives and are busy buying them houses when they cash the bonus check.  Bravo!

How should I feel about Pete Hegseth’s mother?  (First, she looks gorgeous!)  She wrote a scathing note to Pete several years ago and is now being called upon to disavow her beliefs.  She agreed to walk through the halls of Congress hand-in-hand with her tarnished son as he seeks a position in Trump’s cabinet. 

My instinct is to not be too hard on her.  Same with Biden pardoning his son.  Sometimes parents find themselves with difficult children.  I’m ready to leave it at that.

A First

 This morning, the friendly Jewel employee who oversees the self-checkout machines, was running from one to another.  "It seems like they're all having problems at once," he said. "They drive me crazy."  "I'd rather have people," I replied, "but that's an old fashioned idea."

He took a moment to tell me this story:  In Korea, the grocery stores have been using robots to check people out.  On a particularly busy day, one of the robots threw itself down the stairs.  "I think it's the first case of robot suicide," he said.

The "C" Word

 I remember when cancer was the "C" word.  Spoken in hushed tones.  It was a death sentence, or, if you were John Wayne, you were a hero for surviving, if only for awhile. The only posture was a stoic one, so why dwell on it.

Climate change is now the "C" word.  It's too disruptive to admit it into our lives.  Too much to have to recalculate.  Too much money lost right now.  Better to bully those who insist on bringing it up.  

There were terrible storms and fires during the last weeks of the election.  If the cause came up at all, I missed it.  And I was paying pretty close attention.

My friend June, who lives in Asheville, was without electricity or water for a week.  Marilyn's house in St. Petersburg just missed a falling tree.

Here's the one thing upon which both candidates agreed:  Let's not mention the "C" word.

There's a book on my shelf called:  "The World Without Us."  Yes, something will remain.

Your Choice

 Yogi Hugs Don Larson

As the self-appointed "philosopher" of my baseball class, I'm always delighted when the conversation delves into "the big picture." 

Today, it was this question:  Would you rather be the Hall of Fame player on a team that never reaches the post season and World Series?  Or, would you prefer to be the less recognized player who comes up with an unforgettable moment of greatness that touches fans everywhere?

P.S.  Philosophers aren't looking for right or wrong answers.

Remembering the Two Lilys

 

The death of Lily Ledbetter, the champion of equal pay for women,  reminded me of a favorite  moment I wrote about in my book.  Here it is.

There’s a charming article in the New Yorker about how a group of women lawyers went back to McSorley’s restaurant/bar in New York to celebrate the signing of the Lily Ledbetter Law and reminisce about how they had sued McSorley’s in 1969 for barring women. It was a bloody battle.

In the 1970’s I worked for the Chicago Council of Lawyers. The women in the Women’s Rights Committee decided to challenge Chicago’s B-girl law. The law barred unescorted women from sitting at the bar in nightclubs and restaurants.

I decided to join the women when they launched their challenge. They chose the nightclub Mr. Kelly’s. This club was a hot spot on Rush Street which attracted the most popular comedians and singers. On the night we went, a little known comedienne named Lily Tomlin was opening for Shelley Berman. The women sent her a note telling her about the B-girl law and advising her that they were going to infiltrate the bar. Lily, who had no clout at that point, still had the guts to tell the management that she wouldn’t go on unless the women were seated. Mr. Kelly’s caved and the law was eventually overturned.

I wish I could go back to Mr. Kelly’s, but it is long gone. Lily Tomlin became a star.

When Losing Isn't So

 

As you know I love my Literature of Baseball Class.  This time the book is: "Why We Love Baseball."  It's a countdown of 50 memorial moments in the game.

I've found that incidents in baseball (and other sports) give us a clear look at the complexities of life.

Harvey Haddix pitched 12 perfect innings during which his team failed to score a run.  They ended up losing.  Haddix, throughout his life, downplayed the achievement concentrating on the loss.

I believe that his perfect effort far outshines the outcome.  The human story is that we can give it our best knowing that we always live among others.