Pretzel Bites: Expanding my experience
DEI may be a dirty word for some, but my worldview grows when I lean into curiosity.
As a middle-aged straight white man, my world is pretty straightforward: Work Hard, save, eat well, be proactive, keep emotions in check, control the controllable, and be kind. All will be OK.
But man, I have blind spots. I often don’t understand another’s experience. All I can see is my own narrow and rose-colored perspective. I easily slip into the trap of, “This is not my problem,” or “I’ve got my own crap to deal with without understanding someone else.”
In his book Think Again (a book I just finished and recommend), author Adam Grant champions the idea of confident humility:
What we want to attain is confident humility; having faith in our capability while appreciating that we may not have the right solution or even be addressing the right problem. That gives us enough doubt to reexamine our old knowledge and enough confidence to pursue new insights.
I know I don’t know much, particularly about identity, race, and economic hardship. One thing I do know is that I value my principles of intellectual curiosity and empathy.
Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another person. It's a key part of morality and successful relationships. For me, that means talking to people, asking questions from the standpoint of learning and understanding, and not debating into submission. It also means taking time to take in diverse voices. Along with typical reading spy novels and viewing thriller series, I took the opportunity of Black History Month to seek out these voices:
Whether it was the 3:30 runtime or the discomfort I felt going to see a movie about Malcolm X when I was 18 years old and months after the LA Riots, I skipped seeing this film in the theaters. Later, on video, I think it was more about the run time. But I finally sat down and put in the time. I loved it. Biopics are always sanitized, but history relegates the story of El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz to only his antagonistic time under the Nation of Islam and not the reconciliation of his faith in the last year of his life. I learned more about him than I had let myself. That was my folly. And Denzel is amazing in the title role.
The fictional tale of a mixed-race family dealing with its history at the time of the Selma-to-Montgomery marches in 1965. This novel shares the turmoil and strife of Alabama in the ‘60s, even within the black community. The novel portrays the nastiness of racism, bigotry, and the power of forgiveness, empathy, and letting go. Because I had learned so little about Selma in school growing up, I watched Selma, the 2014 movie directed by Ava DuVerney. It was a fantastic companion to 54 Miles, expanding my knowledge of this difficult time.
The Chinese Groove, Katherine Ma.
What separates the Chinese immigrant from the second-generation Chinese Americans who are making a life in San Francisco? What are the expectations of both to their families and to each other? Sometimes resentment, sometimes hope, and always human. I enjoyed reading about the young and naive Shelly as he makes his way to America to make his way in the world with his “rich” uncle. Along the way, we learn that life’s riches do not apply to monetary wealth but the satisfaction of life and family. Funny, subtly provocative, and tender, I enjoyed this book.
The point of these is not to make diversity a one-month one-off but to make it part of our experience to learn, empathize, and increase our humanity.
Saturday Night Live 50
They say that Saturday Night Live has its most impact and relevance at ages between 14-21. Well, considering those ages are the most likely to be awake and home, it makes sense my favorite cast spans from Dana Carvey and Mike Myers through the Sandler years. Old episodes of the first cast also played on Comedy Central at that time, so I was also influenced by Dan Ackroyd, John Belushi, and Gilda Radner.
Therefore, watching the Saturday Night Live 50th Anniversary Specials brought back a lot of memories. From Sandler singing about Chris Farley to clips of sketches, I was brought back to the time when my friends and I would turn on the TV (not too loud to wake my folks) and laugh at the outrageous antics in Studio 8H. If you have Peacock, I welcome you to view the documentaries they produced about some of the behind-the-scenes auditions and sketches. Some have complained that SNL has gotten too political, but looking back, it’s always been political. Maybe it was just at age 14 that we didn’t get the subtext.
To complement the specials, I also recommend watching Saturday Night, a 2024 movie that depicts the first night of the show. Did you know the Muppets were a part of that first episode?
Quick dips:
Cormoran Strike: Though JK Rowling is problematic, her Robert Galbraith novels are now MAX series, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this four-part series.
Fates and Furies: Lauren Groff's novel can be pretentious and often uses $3 words when a dime will work, but I enjoyed this story of a playwright and his wife.
Bad Sisters: The first season of the Apple TV show was fantastic. The second is okay, but both are worth watching.
Side of Mustard
Next week: Capitol Rookie, Episode 3: The Tip Off
As deadlines loom and personal distractions arise, Alex races to connect the dots, but will the truth come to light before it's too late?
Catchup by visiting the main Capitol Rookie page.
