This & That: January 24, 2023

Hello, readers!

The cold streak here in Colorado continues, which means our family of five is hunkering inside for the most part and, somehow, not getting too stir crazy. (Definitely a little stir crazy, though.)

With all that couch time, I’ve notched about eight books so far this month (two of them on audio), I’ve watched more sports than I have in ages — football and tennis, mostly — and I’ve had plenty of time to practice my new hobby, which I’m excited to tell you about below. It’s been nice to be a little bored, actually, but I’m also ready for some warmer temperatures.

Anyway, here’s what else is in store for This & That this week: a list of my favorite sports narratives, my new YouTube distraction, a couple great articles, and more.

Let’s jump in.

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Something I’m Thinking About: A New Hobby

I recently started taking piano lessons. In person. At 10am every Thursday morning, I drive to my teacher’s home, which is a 10-minute winding drive through our suburban community. It was a bit nerve-wracking the first couple times I walked into her living room, but it gets easier every week. And ya know what? It’s been a blast.

I’m only a month in, but my lessons and (mostly) daily practice have become something I genuinely look forward to.

Though I played saxophone in high school, I went 15 years without looking at a piece of music and the piano was completely foreign to me.

To learn something from scratch as an established adult is a really weird thing, especially when you’re learning directly from another human.

We live in an age of self-education. YouTube, MasterClass, Coursera, etc. — I’ve dabbled in all of them, with various topics and skills in mind, and nothing has ever really stuck. It just doesn’t hold a candle to sitting next to someone while they guide you through learning a new skill.

I didn’t realize how much humility and courage would be involved, but it’s been a delightful, challenging, eye-opening experience for me. You’ll hear more about my journey over the coming months, I’m sure, but let me just leave you with this short exhortation: if you’ve been wanting to learn something new, find a teacher or class that isn’t on the internet. Find a little bit of courage to step outside your comfort zone, take the IRL plunge, and reap the rewards.

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The Mini List: Sports Narratives

I just finished listening to Chris Herring’s Blood in the Garden, which was a really fun and entertaining look at the 1990s Knicks, who were the bad boys of the NBA at the time.

It got me thinking about my favorite sports narratives. I’ve read plenty of sports biographies and histories, but not as many that tell a story of a single team or moment. The three featured here stand out.

• The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown

• Strokes of Genius by L. Jon Wertheim

• Friday Night Lights by Buzz Bissinger

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Miscellany

My fun new YouTube distraction is related to my new hobby: DDR-esque piano videos that not only offer a treat for the ears, but the eyes too. There are dozens of channels in this vein, but this is one I’ve been especially enjoying. Is there a more guilt-free, delight-inducing show on TV right now than Abbott Elementary? This conversation between Quinta Brunson (Janine) and Sheryl Lee Ralph (Barbara) is an absolute goldmine of creative insights and going for your dreams. Speaking of TV shows, Single Drunk Female has made for enjoyable watching during Dry January. It feels fresh and offers some eye-opening social commentary on drinking culture. You didn’t know that you wanted to know this much about the pizza box. This is the kind of useless-but-fascinating article the internet was made for. We’re not very fastidious about keeping our cars spick-and-span, but these lightweight, collapsible trash containers have been a godsend. Three young kids means endless streams of Dum-Dum wrappers, crumbs of all kinds, and other unmentionables.

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Thanks so much for the time and attention — I deeply appreciate it.

-Jeremy