Lessons and bon mots from another year as a pile of animated meat
Because I always try to remember to call people on my birthday
My birthday coincides with the release of list after list of the year’s most memorable offerings in countless categories, e.g., “2021 Was UNREAL!! || These Are The Top 10 WORLD RECORDS From 2021.” We in North America seem to have collectively conceded that nothing of unique cultural relevance ever happens in the final two weeks of December, so distracted by holiday-related commercial, charitable, and family obligations is the gamely stupefied citizenry.
That seems like a good reason to compile a list of my own, one pertinent to both 2021 as a nearly complete calendar unit and my own advancing age.
Related: “Nobody will beat this.”
In the creative spirit of celebrating the onset my own official existence—in reckless solitude, no less, and from the defiant privacy of my own home—I’m posting a handful of memorable things Beck of the Pack newsletter recipients have sent me in response to posts I’ve made over the past year.
While comments to the Web versions of my posts are permitted and encouraged, at least 95 percent of the feedback I’ve gotten has been in the form of direct e-mails. Although this is a couple of clicks more convenient for newsletter subscribers than logging onto the Web version and commenting there, my strong deductive powers combined with what tends to be in these e-mails leads me to conclude that most people would prefer to limit their reviews of posts to the eyes and mind of the author even were this the more labor-intensive choice. Given the climate of today’s public exchange of ideas, these people are exercising basic sound judgment.
I picked the five comments below because they either made me laugh or made me think. In some cases, they made me do both at the same time, which at my age is exhausting. So did a lot of the other input people sent, but most of those replies were more personal than broadly philosophical.
So, readers, thanks for a little of everything.
Expecting a high level of rationality from people is a great way to drive yourself to some form of psychopathology, depression being the best bet. When faced with a problematic situation, maybe one that can be called a crisis, people feel the need to take some sort of action. That's a good thing if they actually know what sort of action will help, but not knowing how to help rarely keeps people from wanting to do something anyway. And when the problem persists after the initial actions are taken, there will be a demand for even actions to be taken.
When that happens, the effects can be anything from incredible silliness to making the initial problem worse to creating a whole new problem. In this case, one “created problem” is an exacerbation of the political tribalism we're plagued with today.
I pay almost no attention to anything related to running outside my area. I read practically nothing online or in print regarding anyone else’s running. I don't care at all about the pros. I barely watch the Olympics. I just like racing locally and having fun.
I am so unplugged from shit and always have been. Because I know I'm just like you, where if I read or hear it, it will drive me insane. I hate people. I hate everything anyone else says for the most part. I'm selfish and pay no attention to detail if it doesn't involve me or my family.
But there are a few I can tolerate.
The bottom line is that Mary Cain was treated by her coach about the same as a Pop Warner football player, to say nothing of top-level NCAA Division 1 male players in revenue sports (Bobby Knight, anyone?). It’s benevolent sexism that we still cringe when women are treated like Cain, but “Vince Lombardi” any men who are treated the same way.
I'm beginning to think that what we need is for some transgender women to succeed in really spectacular ways. Have a seven-foot guy with middling basketball skills "become" a woman and take a previously weak WNBA or NCAA team to a championship, or have a transgender woman chosen over a biological woman to become president of Harvard or CitiBank. I think most of the people advocating to treat these folks as biological women shrug off the consequences, at least to female athletes, as inconsequential right now (e.g., "Sorry you missed qualifying for cross-country nationals by one place and got edged out by that trans girl, but it's for the better").
Railing against the woke is fun, but doesn't contribute to a good solution. Because, of course, there isn't one. Life isn't fair.
The specifics change, but the story of the old slowly becoming adrift from their culture is as old as culture itself. And everyone is surprised when it happens to them.
And change is not always for the better — ask the environment about that.