read this, read that
I recently finished a book by Colum McCann called, “Let the Great World Spin”. McCann takes the story of a tightrope walker and weaves it in and out of the lives of various people living in New York City. Influenced by the events of September 11, McCann places the tightrope walker balanced precariously on a wire strung between the towers of the World Trade Center.
Taking his story loaded with emotion from the top of the WTC to the depths of the New York subway, McCann introduces characters one at a time, each riddled with a problem or question that connects them all at the heart. You meet a mother whose son was killed in Vietnam, a hooker in love with an Irish priest and artists addicted to love and drugs. Each one of these lives overlaps the other in ways that are both tragic and compelling.
As I read the stories of each New Yorker, I found myself wanting their lives to touch…they were all so close to knowing that the others existed it was almost painful. I watched their lives unfold and come back together because of something that someone outside of their realm did. The book changed my life and allowed me to realize that although at the end of the day we control our own ultimate destiny, we may end up somewhere completely because of the actions of another person…whether that person be a tight-rope walker, a priest, or the children of a heroine addicted hooker. “Let the Great World Spin” is definitely a must read-let it change you.
"Forever Watching"
Two days ago, college basketball fans across the country tuned into ESPN for one of the greatest rivalries of all time: Duke vs. UNC. For those who don’t know the history of the game, the Battle for Tobacco Road pits two of the greatest NCAA basketball programs against each other. Located just eight miles away from each other, Duke and the University of North Carolina have hosted some of the most memorable games in NCAA history, as well as producing some of the most well-known names in the game. Players like Danny Ferry, Johnny Dawkins, Michael Jordan, Christian Laettner and J.J. Redick played the rivalry game with all they had, like it was the last time they would set foot on the court.
This week, another standout player may have begun to make his mark on the rivalry’s history. When Nolan Smith took the court against UNC on Wednesday night, I’m sure he had no idea that his performance would launch him into the race for player of the year. Scoring 34 points in Duke’s 79-73 victory over the Tarheels, Smith was the visible leader of the team whose highly toted player, Kyrie Irving, watched from the bench at Cameron Indoor.
But Smith’s story has much more to it than just shooting 3s and strong defense…it all starts with his father. Derek Smith, famed Louisville forward and Nolan’s late father, passed away suddenly at age 34 during a family cruise. Nolan watched his father die on a stretcher off the coast of Bermuda, turning a paradise into every son’s worst nightmare.
Those who played with Derek Smith are overwhelmed with emotion every time they see Nolan on the court. Johnny Dawkins, former teammate and close friend of Smith’s father says, “The way he moves on the floor, the way he handles the basketball, the way he shoots the basketball … it’s uncanny. They have the same form, the same movement. It’s eerie.” As Duke’s associate head coach, Dawkins has played the role of coach and mentor to the young Blue Devil, tayloring his potential and driving him to constantly improve. Nolan serves as a reminder of Dawkins’ old friend, both on and off the court.
Nolan has a lasting reminder of his own located on his right bicep…a tattoo of his father with the words “Forever Watching” inked permanently into his skin to remind him that he’s playing for his lost hero, his fallen angel….his father.
tribute2
As we enter the holiday season, the last thing we’d ever hope would be for someone to pass away, but in the early hours of this morning America lost someone they will never forget. Bob Feller, a baseball great and American hero, lost a long battle with leukemia at the age of 92.
The year was 1936 and Robert William Andrew Feller was only 16 years old. Born in Van Meter, Iowa, Feller was a small-town boy with a wicked fastball. Shortly after his graduation from high school was nationally broadcast, he signed with the Cleveland Indians…and the signing bonus was nothing (quite literally) compared to some of the bonuses athletes receive today. Wanna guess what Feller signed for? Go ahead, take a shot. One hundred dollars? Nope-lower. Not even fifty, my friend. Bob Fellers signed on to play with the Indians for ONE DOLLAR and an autographed baseball.
That bonus was certainly not a reflection of the hurler’s numbers. Some of his most well-known stats were his 104 mph fastball (which was measured by throwing against a motorcyle), his 3 no-hitters and 12 single-hit games. Feller was known for throwing alongside some of the greatest pitchers to ever be a part of baseball; Bob Lemon, Early Wynn, and Mike Garcia. Forget the “Big Three”…this big four of the Cleveland starting rotation combined for a total of 93 wins in the 1954 season. That’s more impressive than the celebutante show that the Miami Heat three attempt to put on.
But Feller is known for much more than his baseball career, a career that was halted in 1941 when the United States entered World War 2 after being attacked at Pearl Harbor. One day following the attack, Feller enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served as a chief gunner’s mate in the Pacific Theatre. In place of living the dream playing American baseball, Feller risked his life to protect our country…something more men should have done. He doesn’t consider himself a hero, he felt it was his responsibility to serve America in a greater way than his 104 mph fastball.
Sure, Feller was a legendary baseball player from a small town in Iowa who shocked America…but I think after his passing, fans everywhere (especially Cleveland fans) are finding themselves thinking of him as a hero who risked it all as a part of the greatest generation.
"a perfect heart’s length away"
Ever had a song that just reaches out and grabs you for some reason? Duh…we all have. Because it’s finals week for me (as well as most other college students across the nation), I’ve been listening to A LOT of music. The kind of stuff that puts you in the zone…John Legend, Iron & Wine, etc.
I recently was introduced to a song by Imogen Heap called “Half Life”. It brought me to tears. I know that those of you familiar with my rarely seen emotional side are aware that I’m a crier, but a song…really?! Slightly embarrassing.
Anyways, the song transported me to a place I’d been to before…in a half-life relationship, knowing “the odds were I’d never win”. It was the perfect description; not abusive or unhealthy per say, but just half.
Looking back on who I’ve become since that place is what moved me–I realize I deserve whole life from someone. And even though I may not want to invest in something like that at this point…I know what to look for.
Have a listen and let me know what you think.
Digitally Dying for World AIDS Day
The use of social media for charitable causes has been absolutely astounding to me lately…creative campaigns we never would have imagined are now readily available to use at the click of a button. The celebrities participating in the fundraiser have agreed to abandon their Facebooks and Twitters until those who donate “bring them back to life” with whatever amounts they choose to give. The money raised will provide a year’s supply of medicine, food, care and support to the 1500 children in South Africa orphaned by the AIDS virus. This will empower first class doctors, nutrition, transportation, testing and to help the orphans and abandoned children who have lost their parents to HIV/AIDS in Africa and India.
To donate, you can text the name of the celebrity you’d like to resurrect to 90999 to donate just $10. Below are a list of celebrities participating:
Alicia Keys
Lady Gaga
Daphne Guinness
Janelle Monáe
David LaChapelle
Elijah Wood
Kim Kardashian
Justin Timberlake
Khloe Kardashian
The Buried Life Cast
Jay Sean
Swiss Beatz
Serena Williams
Jennifer Hudson
Kimberly Cole
Ryan Seacres
Bronson Pelletier
Usher
Jimmy V Week Spotlight
This afternoon, as I took a quick break from the piles of books and papers that surrounded me, I flipped on ESPN. The piece I saw on SportsCenter was a feature for Jimmy V Week, one week out of the year honoring NCSU basketball coach, Jimmy Valvano. Valvano was diagnosed with cancer and battled the disease for an entire year before passing away. Known as a spirited and passionate coach, Jimmy V has become an icon in not only the world of college basketball, but the world. His well-known speech at the 1993 ESPY awards was the kick off to the Jimmy V Foundation for Cancer Research. Jimmy died 2 months later.
Back to the feature story I was initially writing about…sorry, took a little background information to get there. Anyways, ESPN’s piece this afternoon was something that touched my emotions and brought tears to my eyes. For those of you who know me, this isn’t unusual; I cry at every movie I watch or book I read. But this story was different-it focused on the cancer battle of a 14 year old boy named Matthew Costello, a young quarterback and avid Baltimore Ravens fan.
Does anyone remember the first score for the Ravens in the AFC playoffs last year? If you don’t, Ray Rice rushed the football for 83 yards to strike first against the New England Patriots. But after realizing who called the play, it wasn’t the 7 points that mattered…it was who orchestrated the play to kickoff the Raven’s 33-14 playoff win. It was Costello, who was a classmate of the Cam Cameron, the offensive coordinator in Baltimore.
Today, Costello continues to build a relationship with the Raven’s franchise…hanging out with Rice and texting Cameron suggestions of play-calls in sticky situations. And the Ravens listen. They listen to the 15 year-old kid who has fought the hardest fight of his life…they listen to the avid young fan who couldn’t see straight a year ago because of a massive tumor is his brain.
Who woulda thought that the Baltimore Ravens (a team loathed in Cleveland) could have brought tears to my eyes at 2:00 on a Wednesday afternoon? Not me, that’s for sure…but they did with the story of their secret weapon, Matthew Costello.
So Foursquare DOES have a purpose…
So recently, I was at the PRSA Student Day in downtown Cleveland and an audience member during the keynote speech curiously asked, “So what is Foursquare? Does anyone use it?” I found myself asking the same question until I stumbled upon a couple different articles about the use of Foursquare in holiday campaigns and charity efforts.
Gap recently launched its newest holiday campaign with a Foursquare feature; online ads for the campaign include a Foursquare Gap “To Do” list. A list of Gap stores nearby the user appear on ones computer or mobile phone, and checking into these local stores earns shoppers 30% off any purchase. As another part of the campaign, Gap will donate $1 for every check-in their stores receive. This relationship with Foursquare isn’t new; about a year ago, Gap offered 25% to all users who checked in to their stores.
After reading about this, I started doing a little bit more research on Foursquare because, I’ll be honest…I thought this application was one of the creepiest. We’re always being lectured on keeping our whereabouts private when it comes to using social media because it has been known that robberies occur when people broadcast their vacations or work trips through Facebook and Twitter. But this application can be used for good things too!
One of the coolest F
oursquare campaigns was that of US hunger relief charity Feeding America. The week before Thanksgiving, Foursquare users could check into local food banks in order to have $1 donated for every check-in. Thoughtful, isn’t it? It’s an easy way to get people involved with little effort…which appeals to all of us that lead busy lives but still want to find a way to do good.
Although I was a bit weary of the overwhelming effects of social media on our lives, I have to admit, the more I research the good that has come out of tools like Facebook, Twitter and even Foursquare…I realize that the possibilities to help others are becoming even more endless. Foursquare isn’t just a game we played at recess, it’s a way to help those that need it (and maybe get a discount while we’re at it)!
Success! Aussie gets invite to Thanksgiving by strangers
I recently read an awesome story on Mashable (for those of you that don’t read articles from this site or follow him on Twitter-do it now!) about an Australian man who was accidentally receiving emails from a family in America, the Trans. For over three years, James West was included in the preparation for Tran family Thanksgivings. This past holiday, he finally responded. Sure, it’s a tiiiiny bit creepy, but how cool is this?? He posted five YouTube videos in hopes of tracking down the Trans…pleading to be included in their Thanksgiving celebrations. After he discovered who they were and where they were located, West was welcomed with open arms into the household for Thanksgiving dinner.
Some may see this as creepy, but I think it’s a sign that genuinely nice people are still out there…the Trans could have shut their doors on poor Mr. West but instead, they opened their home to him on one of the most popular holidays of the year. Think what you want, but I’d invite this guy to my Thanksgiving! What a cool story.
stopping concussions at the grassroots: why it’s too late for some
As I park it on my huge leather couch and watch football for the rest of this wonderful Thanksgiving day, I can’t help but think of a story I saw run on CNN the other night. Max Conradt was a 17 year-old quarterback with a bright future when he was rocked by two extremely dangerous helmet-to-helmet hits. Playing on a Friday night after suffering a handful of concussions over the course of two weeks is something that is almost unheard of these days…but it was something that almost killed Conradt. Today, Conradt is 25 years old, living in a home for adults who suffer from brain damage. He has the capacity of a 9 year-old. He’ll never remember the glory days before his injury and we’ll never know what kind of athlete he would have turned out to be.
Although much of the legislation from the supreme court of football is being handed down at the professional level, helmet-to-helmet hits should really be stopped at the grassroots: high-school and college football. While concussions are a widely publicized injury, most schools don’t govern how they are treated…and even worse, most coaches can’t even identify when a player has a concussion. As a college athlete, I am beginning to see concussions treated with more and more care…fellow athletes are being forced to sit out weeks, even entire seasons, because of head injuries. This is the change that needs to happen, but it doesn’t seem to be happening fast enough.
Don’t get me wrong, I was raised by a father who continuously told me to “walk it off” or “rub some dirt on it!”, but let’s face it…concussions aren’t something to be fooled with. When teens are dying after playing with multiple concussions, something has to be done. Let’s hope that the consequences for dangerous hits at the professional level trickles down to those at the grassroots.
For more on the touching story of Max Conradt, watch the video below:
http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.element/apps/cvp/3.0/swf/cnn_416x234_embed.swf?context=embed&videoId=health/2010/02/04/nat.conrad.concussion.newvideo
hollywood’s undercover renaissance man
So I started doing a little research on my new crush; creeping, if you will. He is all over the place! I’m not kidding, this guy does it all; he’s an actor, direct & writer, and a photographer. Yep, a photographer. His most recent screenplay is Mercy, a drama about an author struggling to find what’s missing in his life as he falls in love with his biggest critic. Caan stars in the film alongside his father and wonderful filmstar, James Caan. As I previewed the trailer for the film, I was entranced…it is heartfelt love story with a strong script that involves friendship, family and most of all, love. Okay, so Caan gets an A in acting and writing.
I moved on to his photography next…WOW. His pictures are raw and emotional, not something you’d expect from the son of an acclaimed actor that grew up in Hollywood. He captures the moments of normal people and the struggles of the the not-so normal ones. Caan released a book of his photos called “Scott Caan Photographs: Vol. I” that is available on his website. Click here to view the site. Finally, I’ll leave you with some of my favorites from his online photo collection so you can see for yourself just how talented this undercover renaissance man is.
