#79: Day of the hunter

Actual updates

We’re going to start with talent. Raw, unalloyed talent. Specifically, how much of it everyone I know has.

I’m in awe of all my friends at all times. Have you seen what you guys are up to? I know last time out I was a little bummed because of the friends I’ve lost, but let’s bring the focus back where it belongs: on the friends I am still fortunate enough to have, and how incredible all of you are at what you do.

I know people who are creating all kinds of things. Art, writing, music, whole new human beings, kitchen backsplashes. I know a guy who writes plays. I know someone who makes her own clothes (sometimes). And this is just the people who have talents on the creative side! It is one of the greatest honors of my life that I get to know the people I know.

I would love to showcase that more; if you’re doing something you want people outside your immediate circle to know about, tell me and I’ll brag about you in the next issue. Honestly, with the increased push to discard your human talents in favor of just letting the machine do it, we all need all the human-built things we can get our eyes and ears on. But I want this to be by the request of you, the person creating the thing, because I wouldn’t want to expose you to an audience against your wishes. So. What do we say. New segment? Yay? Yay!

Speaking of bragging, I do want to get a little braglet out here right now, but it’s about my kid and those are always a bit annoying. I mean, I didn’t do the thing. And it wasn’t any skill he inherited from me¹ . But I’m still going to do this brag, and anyway he can’t really type reliably yet to do it himself.

So: he made the team at his gymnastics gym! He’s impressed because (as his coach told him) no other boy has ever gone straight from the rec level to the team level without putting in a year in the pre-team level in between; I’m impressed because of everything. Also, his coach had his class doing pre-team stuff anyway, because he - correctly! - believed in them. I can’t say enough good things about this coach, who is graduating from high school and going off to college to become an airline pilot. So one day you may get on a plane and be flown around by a guy who knows what a … hang on, I’m looking something up. Ok: by a guy who knows what a “Russian wendeswing” is² .

Okay. Well, you know what? I kinda like subscriber-gating this thing. Let’s do it again.