First off, a thank-you note: I really appreciate all of you who read and shared my post a few days ago on my first two years of taking GLP-1 drugs. I don’t normally pay much attention to the traffic numbers for this site—that’s not why I do this—but I was curious about that one. As of now it’s the third-most-read post in the history of the Shed. It has nearly twice as many views as we have subscribers. That’s because of all of you who passed it along to others.
Also, if you haven’t already, go read the comments on the post … so many folks are in there talking about their own experiences with GLP-1s. These drugs are not for everybody, but they are helping a lot of people. The comments made me feel extra happy about the community we’ve built here. This is one of the few places on the internet where I can safely say “hey, look at the comments section.” I’m really proud of that, and proud of all of you.
A couple weeks ago I was having lunch with a longtime friend who is edging toward retirement. I asked him what he planned to do with himself once he wasn’t working full-time anymore. He’s a big traveler, and he’s been daydreaming about starting a little company to give tours all over the world.
“Sort of like Rick Steves,” I said.
And as those very words—Rick Steves—floated from my lips, we both sort of sighed with admiration.
“That guy,” I said, “has got life figured out.”
It occurred to us—it occurs to me now—that there aren’t a whole lot of people we can say that about.
What makes it feel like somebody’s got life figured out? I thought of four criteria:
They seem to be doing exactly what they were put on Earth to do.
They’re really good at it.
They’re really successful.
Yet they wear it lightly—they exude joy for what they’ve got instead of arrogance over having it or stress over losing it.
Here’s a very quick, top-of-my head list of public figures who seem to have it (or had it) all figured out:
Rick Steves (of course)
Dolly Parton
Julia Child
Jimmy Buffett
George Clooney
Louis Armstrong
Jennifer Lawrence
Roger Federer
Now I’m guessing that if you asked any of them about it, they’d tell you they do NOT have it all figured out. We can never see inside someone else’s life. It can take a huge amount of effort to make something look effortless. (That’s why Federer is the only athlete I can think of right off who makes the list. Even when he struggled, it rarely looked like it.)
It’s mainly an aspirational thing, I guess. It’s nice to run across somebody who LOOKS like they’ve got it all figured out. Those are the people I’m glad to see succeed, and the people I’d hope to be like one day. Rick Steves has been doing tour guides of Europe, in print and on TV, for nearly 50 years. He appears to have done it all wearing the same three shirts. He praises the locals and does goofy bloopers and advocates for legal weed. He seems to be thrilled with his life. I would be, too.
Who else do you think has got life figured out? Drop your candidates in the comments … also known as The Best Comments Section on the Internet.
If this edition of the Writing Shed is meaningful to you, consider sharing it with others. That’s how you can help our community grow.
10 things I wanted to share this week:
We’ve started watching the new season of TED LASSO … I know some people felt like the show fell off in the last couple of seasons, but it’s still a salve to my soul. Make me cackle and make me cry once in every episode and you’ve got me. (Apple TV)
One thing I didn’t know until just recently: Richmond (the setting for TED LASSO) is a real West London suburb, and it looks pretty much like it does on the show. Of course, tourists have started coming. (NYT)
I could barely breathe reading Simar Bijaj’s story about an operation to give a 6-month-old baby a new heart. Note the understatement and restraint in the writing. What happens in the story is more than dramatic enough. (NYT)
I loved the bravery in this essay by a 50ish mom who decided to pose nude for a drawing class. (Oldster)
My friend Brian Hay, who has spent a life in the music business, wrote a beautiful piece on his son, who has headed out on a music career of his own. (The Greatest Show, Man)
Another good friend, Anna Sale—host of the brilliant podcast DEATH, SEX & MONEY—has an excellent interview with Danny McBride on how he came to create his over-the-top characters, and how they’re so different from Danny himself. (Slate)
FYI, McBride has a new book of short stories called THRILLING TALES OF MODERN MEN. I suspect you’ll find a lot of loud, irrationally confident, and extremely funny dudes in here.
You might remember how I fell back in love with the Charlotte Hornets last season … great news for my infatuation: This coming season’s games will be on free TV here locally. (NBA.com)
Discovered through one of my UGA students: The Impulsive Buy, a site that covers and reviews various fast-food and junk-food delicacies. If you want to know what the new Dairy Queen Strawberry Mango Mochi Blizzard tastes like, here’s your home.
One of my favorite things about TED LASSO is their excellent music choices … there’s always a really good mix of old and new, stuff I’ve always loved and stuff I’ve never heard. The latest episode kicked off with Elton John’s “Honky Cat” and it’s been rolling around in my head ever since.
Have a great weekend, everybody.
—TT
My books DOGLAND and THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM are available in all formats pretty much everywhere books are sold.
Barack Obama. Humble. Authentic care for others. Even if he wasn’t the perfect president. No such thing exists. Ever
Bruce Springsteen - also agree with Tom Hanks who has been suggested and Stephen Colbert