Curated: August 2, 2024

What we work for vs long for, what I can offer, a perspective on uncertainty, silver medals, and connecting music with your emotions

Hi friends, Happy Curated Friday! Here are three poems, thoughts, and quotes for this week.

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Poems

No.4

the things we work for
can be measured:
dollars, square footage, friends
publications, likes, medals

the things we long for
cannot:
freedom, peace, friendship
purpose, acceptance, love

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No. 5

do what i can
where i am
with what i have
right now

nothing more
nothing less

i also don’t have
anything else to offer

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No. 6

the cost of freedom is uncertainty

imagine life without it
everything is known in advance
a foregone conclusion

risks cease to exist
but so will:

the unfamiliarity of exploring something new
the excitement of figuring something out

the fear of things going wrong
the relief of things going right

the grief of losing what you had
the joy of loving what you have

a mystery, isn’t it?

the uncertainty we hate
also makes life interesting
and—i hope—worth living

(Past poems here)

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3 Thoughts

1.

I've enjoyed the Olympic Games so far. One game that struck me this week was the men’s individual foil fencing final.

With a minute left, the game was tied at 14-14 and became sudden death. The two players simultaneously struck each other and separately thought they had won.

After reviewing the replay, the referee announced the hits were too close to call, so the players must keep playing. This happened twice in a row. Both players were shocked, and the audience roared.

The double touch happened again the third time. After the final video review, the referee declared the victory for the player from Hong Kong. The Italian team disputed the call but to no avail (and they are ​still disputing​).

The difference between gold and silver in the Olympics is often less than a fraction of a second or a centimeter. This raises an interesting question: is silver a success?

One perspective is that your hard work has paid off. Your skill is better than virtually everyone in the world.

Another perspective is that you’ve earned a medal that can only be won by losing. You were once so close to glory but didn’t achieve the top.

It's interesting how expectations determine the perception of an outcome: Some receive a silver medal with absolute delight, while others with utter devastation.

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2.

For most of last year, my Saturday basketball group disbanded because the indoor gym we used was no longer available. A friend suggested I check out an online post by a guy looking for new players online.

I initially hesitated since I didn’t know anyone. After lurking in their WhatsApp group for a few weeks, I privately messaged the organizer to see if they were open to newbies.

“Hell yeah, come. The first time is free!” he replied.

I’ve happily played ball again in the last few weeks and met some wonderful people. I also invited a few friends from my old group to come along. A yes can sometimes open up a new world.

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3.

I randomly listened to a ​podcast​ and discovered a wonderful cellist named Anastasia Kobekina. One idea that stuck with me from the episode was her lovely perspective that each piece of music has infinite possibilities depending on one's interpretation.

"You can play a piece in millions of variations, especially with timeless pieces," the young cellist ​said​. "It can reflect today's feelings or your life situation. That's the beauty of listening to or making music: you can connect with your emotions."

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3 Quotes

1.

"If you think of a nice, true thing to tell another person, say it. It will probably be the best thing that happens to them all day."

―Dale Carnegie

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2.

"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less travelled by,
And that has made all the difference.”

―Robert Frost

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3.

“No one knows where it ends
How it may come tumbling down
But I'm here with you now
I'm with you now”

—Sara Bareilles, The Light (Lyrics)

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Have a great weekend!