Reflections on an Odd Life
Afghanistan
I just had a somewhat sad breakfast with my best friend from high school—he’s in the Army, West Point grad, and is about to ship out to Afghanistan with his unit for a deployment of between 12 and 15 months. He’s already been to Iraq for a year (where he came home with a Bronze Star) and his brother, who is two years older, has already been to Afghanistan once and Iraq twice. I can’t imagine what that burden must be like for his family.
This time my friend will be commanding a company of nearly 100 soldiers and I can’t imagine what that burden must be like for him—to keep them all safe for a year in the not-good portion of Afghanistan.
Good luck and godspeed.
Civilization
If anyone can propose something more civilized than sitting in an elegant hotel lobby, listening to a live piano, and sipping a mint julep—as I’m doing now—then I’m all ears.Ribs
Last night, while in Memphis for the City & Regional Magazine Association annual meeting, I went with five other guys from various magazines to a hole-in-the-wall ribs joint on Beale Street.
We asked the snarky waitress to describe the size of the “full rack,” she gestured to her own rack.
We all ordered a half rack.
Just for the record....
I just hopped in a cab and ordered: “We’re going to Graceland.” [In Memphis for a magazine conference, just finished ribs at Rendezvous.]New Haven
I’m just leaving Yale after three days at a conference and realized that I bought very little here. For those who know me, the complete list of my New Haven purchases (in chronological order) won’t be a surprise: milkshake, coffee and two donuts, milkshake, coffee and two donuts. That’s all. Healthy, huh?
The double rainbow outside my hotel window in New Haven last night.
I’ve never been to Yale before so I took the opportunity of a lull in the conference I’m attending this week to wander around campus yesterday. It’s pretty but that does nothing to change it sucking.
One of my problems
I love being a generalist. I think there’s way too much specialization in life today. I understand the whole Paradox of Choice and the Long Tail and all that, but I think we’ve swung much too far in the other direction. Too many people today (especially in academia) don’t know enough about enough. One of the joys of being a journalist is the ability to jump from one topic to another each day. My section in Washingtonian each month includes some sports, some media, some politics, some books, some food/drink, some entertainment, and some gossip.
One effect of my wide-ranging interests is that I end up wanting to write books about too many different things. Easily once a month I come up with a book topic that I’d love to do and spend a year researching and writing. This year already I’ve had serious conversations about six different book ideas and have three more kicking around now, even though I think I’m settling down on one of them now. Sometimes I wish I was interested in less things so I could be more focused in my professional life.
Sigh.