Recent quotables from the paper
I've come across a few things in the paper that were worth mentioning.
Trib, Sunday, September 29, 2024
Nina Metz wrote an article about Murder, She Wrote and how, at its 40th anniversary, it's still a well-written show worth watching and discovering. She talks about its lead character, Jessica Fletcher, and how murders just happen around her. There's a whole paragraph about why she participates in solving the murders, and what might frustrate her in the process, but it ends with this line:
But she always comports herself with class, no matter how lurid the circumstance.
There are plenty of people who do not comport themselves with class regardless of circumstances, and that's a shame. Especially if they are in a position of power, let's say.
***
Trib, Saturday, November 16, 2024
Along those same lines comes a thought from a letter to the editor published yesterday. The writer is Kevin Sussman (...Stuart from Big Bang? Or coincidental name?...) and the letter's heading is Coach and mayor's choices. He goes into the incompetency of current Bears head coach Matt Eberflus and current Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson, both of whom have made questionable choices during their leadership. This was what the writer had to say at the end of his letter:
Whether on the gridiron or in the chambers of City Hall, sustained success requires strong leadership and being able to take accountability for errors, while quickly rectifying them and remaining focused on the mission.
As someone who has a leader who does not embody those thoughts, I completely get where the writer is coming from and understand the frustration of Bears players, fans, and Chicago residents. It's okay to make mistakes. What's not okay is to ignore them or pretend they didn't happen. Fix and move forward; otherwise you'll stagnate.
***
Trib, Sunday, September 29, 2024
Finally, this comes from the A&E section, where Sharon Lurye is reviewing the book The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman, where the main character wants to be a Knight of the Round Table, except that King Arthur has died and the Round Table is in shambles. The character is undeterred. The ending of the review quotes the book itself:
"One day you will see that it is a mistake to love an empire, or a throne, or a crown, because those things cannot love. They can only die."
And yet, we have in our midst people who cannot grasp that thought and continue to try to seize power. What empires remain from history? They are in the past. This is why we should study them, to see what worked and what didn't--and recognize that eventually, they toppled. So why bother trying to start a new one?
Trib, Sunday, September 29, 2024
Nina Metz wrote an article about Murder, She Wrote and how, at its 40th anniversary, it's still a well-written show worth watching and discovering. She talks about its lead character, Jessica Fletcher, and how murders just happen around her. There's a whole paragraph about why she participates in solving the murders, and what might frustrate her in the process, but it ends with this line:
But she always comports herself with class, no matter how lurid the circumstance.
There are plenty of people who do not comport themselves with class regardless of circumstances, and that's a shame. Especially if they are in a position of power, let's say.
***
Trib, Saturday, November 16, 2024
Along those same lines comes a thought from a letter to the editor published yesterday. The writer is Kevin Sussman (...Stuart from Big Bang? Or coincidental name?...) and the letter's heading is Coach and mayor's choices. He goes into the incompetency of current Bears head coach Matt Eberflus and current Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson, both of whom have made questionable choices during their leadership. This was what the writer had to say at the end of his letter:
Whether on the gridiron or in the chambers of City Hall, sustained success requires strong leadership and being able to take accountability for errors, while quickly rectifying them and remaining focused on the mission.
As someone who has a leader who does not embody those thoughts, I completely get where the writer is coming from and understand the frustration of Bears players, fans, and Chicago residents. It's okay to make mistakes. What's not okay is to ignore them or pretend they didn't happen. Fix and move forward; otherwise you'll stagnate.
***
Trib, Sunday, September 29, 2024
Finally, this comes from the A&E section, where Sharon Lurye is reviewing the book The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman, where the main character wants to be a Knight of the Round Table, except that King Arthur has died and the Round Table is in shambles. The character is undeterred. The ending of the review quotes the book itself:
"One day you will see that it is a mistake to love an empire, or a throne, or a crown, because those things cannot love. They can only die."
And yet, we have in our midst people who cannot grasp that thought and continue to try to seize power. What empires remain from history? They are in the past. This is why we should study them, to see what worked and what didn't--and recognize that eventually, they toppled. So why bother trying to start a new one?