A Shared Culture
After the events at the Capitol, the three paragraphs below gave me hope. The hope is in the shared cultural experience.It can be argued that the riot in Washington is a shared experience, but not the kind that builds community, or builds bridges between people. The attempt there was fueled by recklessness, lies and an attempt to overturn a free and fair election.
The shared experience of The National Pastime was free of fiery rhetoric. It was more about a common bond, much like Rock n Roll was to the Boomers and the acts of generosity during the Great Depression. The simpler act described below is hope in the face of increasing isolation brought on by Social Media, partisan politics, and made worse by the pandemic.
The comfort of rituals. |
Frank Miller, a retired civil engineer, needed to play catch. A former baseball player in high school and college, he wandered his house in Dallas practicing the grips for a slider, curve and cutter after reading a book about pitching. So his wife, Alice, put out a call on social media: Does anybody want to play catch with my 74-year-old husband? |
The response showed them they’d tapped into something bigger than baseball. Players and strangers of all ages and talents turned out at a neighborhood park, ready to let the turbulence of recent weeks fade into the background and toss the ball around. |
“Isn’t baseball beautiful?” Mr. Miller said at the end of the session. “It’s a piece of art, really.” |
By Remy Tumin and Jeremiah M. Bogert, Jr. NY Times The Morning Anybody want to play catch? I know where my glove is. |
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