Time Spent Alone with a Good Book

Phonetics professor, John Wells replied, in response to a six year-old’s question, in essence, Why books?: “Books build bridges to the lives of others, both the characters in them and your countless fellow readers across other lands and other eras, and in doing so elevate you and anchor you more solidly into your own life. They give you a telescope into the minds of others, through which you begin to see with ever greater clarity the starscape of your own mind.”

Some psychological research has shown we improve our emotional IQ by getting inside the minds of others, particularly in fiction. I agree with that assessment.

I think reading gives us the time we may need to digest words that may have taken months or years to edit.  It gives us the opportunity to re-read and ponder.

Lord knows, in this time of COVID, we all need some better connections to others. Thank God for the treasure of a good book.

Marty Schottenheimer, an Obit

The worship of winning the big one never ceases to amaze me. if you lose an NFL conference championship you have the third or fourth best team in all of football. Marty lost some. Is that a problem?

I loved watching the Chargers in their losing season this year. They had the best rookie QB in the history of the game, Justin Herbert. Just watching him play at that level was as much fun as any of the football I have followed for now almost 70 years.

Being stressed out over your team not winning the big game also takes the relaxing element of fandom away from you. Marty, you gave us many a fine moment as Charger fans.

The Super Bowl you failed to reach? Hey, we watched you design a team that showcased the skills of a great back, LaDanian Tomlinson. The San Diego Union Tribune quoted LT as follows about Marty: ” I never went into a game with Marty as coach feeling like I wasn’t fully prepared to win. He really wanted you to understand every detail of the game plan.”

Thanks for the memories. Terribly terribly sorry you lost them late in life.