I was finally set to write the piece I’ve wanted to address for a long time: the conflict between a game I love—football—and everything that troubles me about it, particularly CTE. People ask me about it constantly, but finding the right words has been a slow, heavy process. Anyway, the weekend arrived, the desk was…
We’ve Got To Get Better
Accepting oneself does not preclude an attempt to get better. — Flannery O’Connor No matter how well our team played on Saturday, our football coach would sit us down on Sunday, look around the room, and tell us we had to get “better.” Except, carried by a deep Georgia drawl, the word sounded more like…
Once Upon A Time
Once upon a time, there was a little boy who lived in a house full of mirrors, yet he had never truly seen his own face. When he brushed his teeth in the morning, he kept his head tilted down toward the running tap. When he combed his hair, he tracked the movement of the…
Enough
Last Sunday, Maria Popova wrote in The Marginalian about Wendell Berry and the concept of “enough,” quoting Emily Dickinson: “Enough is so vast a sweetness, I suppose it never occurs, only pathetic counterfeits.” Just a day later, the phrase resurfaced in a book I was reading: “More was never enough.” That was my cue. It…
A Letter From A Friend
Dear Friend, The trail underfoot feels different these days. Not worse, just different. A little steeper in places where it used to feel level, a little longer than I remember. I walk at my own pace now, watching the afternoon light filter through the leaves, and a quiet question seems to keep rhythm with my…