Been a long time since I put a post together. Not sure where the time went but thought that the end of 2013 was a good time to reengage with this. So here goes with 14 thoughts for 2014. In no particular order, here they are:
- Turning 55 — biggest event of the year was hitting the “double nickel” birthday in late November. While I thought that it would hit me in the same way that turning 50 did (i.e., wow I am really a middle-aged guy now), it didn’t. I feel good and am generally happy with where my life is right now (happy marriage, generally satisfied professionally, kids seem to moving ahead with their lives, extended family doing okay, etc).
- Teaching Revelations — I have spent the year teaching college full-time (four courses a semester with about 100 students or so), so I have a number of thoughts about this (probably more than I can fit here). Bottom line is that the students at the top are the same students at the top when I was a student in the 1970s. They are conscientious, intellectually curious and focused on the task at hand. The students at the bottom are also the same students that dwelt there way back when and for the same reasons (the opposite characteristics of the top students — lazy, unfocused and not curious). The problem is that, unlike when I was a college student, there are not very many students in the middle. That is, I have a bi-modal distribution of students, which makes it quite tough to teach. Do I aim at the top and leave the bottom behind or do I aim at the bottom and bore the top to tears? Tough to know what to do, isn’t it?
- Yoga — I have really enjoyed doing yoga this year and have found it a great way to increase flexibility and reduce stress. I particularly enjoy the “savasana” (the relaxation exercise at the end of the practice), which ironically is often the part of the class that many people pack up and leave before. It kind of defeats the purpose of the yoga practice, doesn’t it?
- Baseball — As a lifelong NY Yankees‘ fan, it pains me to say this, but I actually was glad that the Red Sox won the World Series. I had hoped that the Yankees could learn that a winning team can be put together without breaking the bank and signing over the hill players for a ton of dough. Yet they seem not to have gotten this lesson and will be destined to be a mediocre expensive team yet again next year.
- Sportscasting — Why are there so many bad sportscasters out there? You would think that given the sports crazy society we live in that there would be a demand for quality people on the sidelines and in the booth, but if someone says “scoring the basketball” again I will scream! Let’s hope that John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman exit stage left and make room for some decent new talent there as well.
- Tattoos — I know that I am an officially an old fart with this comment, but I still don’t get tattoos, especially the cover the arms and the neck style that so many professional athletes have. What’s the point, really? You are going to need to get them removed at some point when they sag and fade, aren’t you?
- The Weather Channel — I like weather. I like to follow it and like the statistics about it and used to love watching The Weather Channel to get my fix. However, watching it now is like watching a train wreck. We don’t get the weather each day, we get the coming of the apocalypse. Why can’t you just broadcast the weather and ditch the hyperbole? Do we really need to name winter storms? Don’t think so….
- Master of Sex — My wife thinks that the new Showtime drama about William Masters and Virginia Johnson appeals to my prurient interest, but I disagree. This is one of the best shows on television, with good writing, well thought out real characters and yes some sex to boot. Lizzy Caplan and Michael Sheen are terrific as the leads, but there is a good supporting cast as well. This has replaced Boardwalk Empire as my favorite cable drama (that show got way too gory for my tastes).
- The New York Times — I love the Times and have since I started getting it every day in the 1970s while a student, but I am a little concerned about the continued exodus of good writers from it. This year David Pogue, the tech writer par excellant, left to go to Yahoo to do his thing there. Too bad as I loved his “state of the art” column in the Times and probably won’t follow him to Yahoo. Let’s hope they don’t lose too many other quality writers.
- Public Radio — I am so happy that I can get good public radio stations from other areas to listen to on a regular basis. I now have the WBUR (Boston) app on my phone and can get WNNZ (Amherst) in my car, so I don’t have to listen to our local station and its now almost continuous fundraising appeals. What other station would announce its February fund drive in mid-December? No other station, that’s who.
- Tennis — I am now playing tennis year round two or three times a week and am enjoying it more than ever. I think I have figured out that the reason that so many people play tennis well into their 60s and 70s and even 80s is because it’s a fun game that can be adapted as you age. You may run a little slower and not get to shots you might have once upon a time, but that’s where the brain comes in and makes adjustments. I also love the fact that our 7 am tennis group is like a big family that cares for each other in good times and in bad.
- Friends — As I wrote during the summer, we have reconnected with lots of old friends this year, and it has made me realize that our lives might be short but they can be rich as well. I hope that in the coming years I will be able to be a better friend to all.
- Family — In addition to realizing the blessing of friends, I also know that I am lucky to have a good and supportive family who loves me even if I have the occasionally screw-up. Let’s hope that we can continue to support each other in the weeks and years ahead.
- 2014 — My wish to all is for a happy and peaceful year ahead.
A Man in the Middle 