Make yourself feel smart

The value of an ego boost, plus my weekly shareables: the dark side of the rainbow, a pitcher battles the yips, and Arnold pumps you up

This week I had an unprecedented (at least for me) achievement: I got the Wordle on my second try two days in a row.

I’m sure a lot of you play Wordle every day; for those of you who don’t know about it, it’s a daily puzzle from the New York Times where you try to guess a five-letter word. With every guess you learn whether you got any of the letters right, and whether they’re in the right position—in the puzzle above, for example, on my first guess I had the first letter in the right spot and the last three letters correct but in the wrong place.

Getting the word in four tries is an average score on an average day. Think of it as a par-4 hole on a golf course. The game gives you only six shots—anything more than that is like a ball lost in the woods. But a three is like a birdie … and a two, well, that’s an eagle. A rare and beautiful thing.

(On one of my eagle days this week, my friend Kimmery Martin got a hole-in-one. Show-off.)

I love two things about Wordle. One, it’s quick—I’m usually done in five minutes, whether I hole out early or put the ball in the trees. And two, even if I don’t post a good score, I can feel my brain gear up for the day as I work the puzzle in my head.

It’s important, I think, to find some way every day to make yourself feel smart. We’re all struggling with a lot of things, and if you’re like me, some days you don’t feel up to the challenge. But even a tiny jolt of dopamine—something to make your brain feel ready—can propel you through the day. Maybe it’s reading a poem every morning … maybe it’s sketching the trees in the front yard … maybe it’s doing the sudoku or the crossword. Whatever works for you. The Wordle works for me. I’m not ashamed to admit I had a bounce in my step when I got that second eagle in a row.

I’m on a text thread with four old college friends—four of the favorite people in my life—and we share our Wordle scores every morning. Our hot streaks ebb and flow. Some days I’m the one at the back of the line eating dust. After I hit the two eagles, my friend David texted that he wanted whatever I was having for breakfast. I replied with the first thing that came to mind:

The cigarette is a perfect touch. Damn, I miss Belushi.

10 things I wanted to share this week:

1. This week’s SOUTHBOUND is one I really hope you check out—my guest, Jack Taggart, has the fascinating job of costume ager in Hollywood. He has beaten down, ripped up, and stained the clothes in movies from INCEPTION to BLACK PANTHER to a slew of Clint Eastwood films. He recreated Tom Cruise’s iconic leather jacket for the TOP GUN reboot. He’s got some fantastic stories.

2. My weekly for WFAE was on the Southern Baptists’ continued dedication to turning the clock of history backward when it comes to women in the church.

3. My friend Jonathan Abrams tells the story of Tyrell Terry, who walked away from the NBA because his anxiety was crushing him. (NYT)

4. Every normal person who led a life of quiet grace should be lucky enough to have someone like Jeremy B. Jones write a tribute. (The Bitter Southerner)

5. DOG NEWS: While I work on my book, I’m devoting this slot to dog stories. This week: For a man’s 100th birthday, a dog lover got the best gift: a parade of dogs to wish him well. (weratedogs on Instagram)

6. Daniel Bard is a Charlotte guy who became a dominant relief pitcher for the Red Sox, then developed the yips: He didn’t know where the ball was going when he let it go. Several baseball players have had similar cases over the years. Bard has made it all the way back to the majors, but he’s not completely over his condition. Louisa Thomas has a touching story on his successes and struggles. (New Yorker)

7. If you ever listened to classic rock, or lived somewhere in the vicinity of a bong, you’ve probably heard the urban legend about how Pink Floyd’s DARK SIDE OF THE MOON was written to sync with THE WIZARD OF OZ. The writer who did the first known story on the legend looks back at it nearly 30 years later. (NYT)

8. This week I learned (through the great Austin Kleon) that Arnold Schwarzenegger has a motivational newsletter. This one, about refusing to dwell on the past, is really good! “… you can’t accomplish anything in the past, you can’t spend time with anyone in the past, and you sure as hell can’t find happiness in the past.” (Arnold’s Pump Club)

9. Danny McBride is at the top of my SOUTHBOUND wish list, not just because he makes incredible TV, but because he seems like a good dude. (NYT)

10. I love looking through old YouTube clips of THE MIDNIGHT SPECIAL, the show where I heard so much new (to me) music when I was growing up. This week I stumbled across a clip of Journey’s “Feeling That Way” from 1978. Journey used to have two lead singers. I think this is the song where they realized Steve Perry was the only one they needed.

    See y’all next week, everybody.