Commence to dancing

Monday 7/22/24

The Grateful Dead and the Capitol Theatre. What was it about that place?

A friend and I were talking over the weekend and he opined that people go downhill quickly. We weren't discussing someone who is eighty-two and breaks a bone and matters proceed from there. I said that I didn't think that was quite true. People give up early, is what I would say, which is different. What's early? Can be twenty-five. Can be forty-five. Sixty. Once someone gives up, you almost never see them start trying again. The longer it's been since that person gave up, the harder it is to make any headway in reversing the effects of having given up. This is in all areas. Mind, body, soul. The trick is not to give up at all, at any point.

The Red Sox came out of the All-Star break and were promptly swept by the Dodgers. I saw not a pitch of the three games over the weekend. The middle game looked like it was a good one. This is how a season gets derailed for good--takes just one five or six game losing streak when you have a relatively small margin for error in the standings and we're getting to late July. As I've said before, I think ownership wants the team to lose and that they won't have to add to the squad at the deadline--or so that the team can even be sellers, if they fall apart completely. I spoke too soon about Kenley Jansen, who was lit up twice in the series and whose ERA is now over 3. Need to get back to winning ways and fast, starting tonight.

I introduced someone to Laurel and Hardy's dance in Way Out West over the weekend. You have to be such good friends to do that dance. In the film, I mean. They were great friends in real life, but I'm talking about the film. Joy is a rare commodity. But isn't it interesting how often--relatively speaking--we see joy evinced in people dancing? And isn't it also interesting that the band I believed purveyed more joy than any other--the Grateful Dead--was a dance band? Among many other things.