Work In Progress Newsletter
Edition 11 | August 1, 2022

WRITE THIS WAY…
Hello and welcome to edition No. 11 of the Work In Progress newsletter. So nice to see you today. I’m your good news guru Ryan McCrary. As I look out the window of my basement office I see a dandelion growing and thriving through a crack in the concrete. Somehow despite the 90-degree heat and the lack of soil it has a strong stalk and vibrant flowers on it and I know it will not be an easy weed to pull.

It reminds me that sometimes conditions do not need to be perfect to grow, thrive and add beauty and value. As August begins today I hope all of us flourish regardless of the conditions and challenges in our way.

THREE DOTS… GOOD NEWS ONLY
Scrolling through my Instagram feed I saw this remarkable story of a Toronto teacher only identified as @teachinthe6ix… On the last day of class, she gave each student a brand new pair of shoes and each were able to paint, decorate and customize them… The robots are taking over in a good way along the Spanish coast… Last week a drone flown by a pioneering drone lifeguarding service in Valencia, Spain saw a boy in danger in swift currents and the drone dropped a lifejacket until the full rescue could be made… Imagine spending a month on a rowing machine… This crew of four women made history winning the 2022 Great Pacific Race, setting a new world record in the process making the 2,400 nautical mile trip in just over 34 days… Double-Dutch as the perfect after work therapy… This group of professional women in Brooklyn, Minnesota have revived one of the best things on the playground. Let the jumping begin!… Meet 16-year old Landis Sims who has overcome more obstacles than most mortals experience… Born without hands or feet Sims has made his baseball dreams come true and his newly released documentary details the triumph… 102-year old World War II veteran Romay Davis, who served in the segregated 688th Central Postal Directory Battalion which served in England, is the oldest surviving member of a unit that recently was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal by President Joe Biden for its exemplary service.  

PASSAGES
One of the most iconic figures in my life passed away yesterday at 88 years old. In a world where “legend” and “legendary” can be overused, William Felton Russell qualified in every sense. Bill Russell went from a lightly recruited basketball prospect out of Oakland’s McClymonds High School to the dominant center on back-to-back NCAA Championship teams at the University of San Francisco. An 11-time NBA champion with the Boston Celtics, Russell became a powerful voice in the Civil Rights movement and a champion for social justice. This is one of the best tributes to an iconic life lived. HERE

PASSAGES TWO
Nichelle Nichols, who played Lieutenant Uhura on Star Trek, passed away yesterday at 89. Nichols, who appeared in all seasons of the original Star Trek and six Star Trek movies, considered leaving the show for a stage career after the first season. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, a fan of the show called her and urged to stay for the impact she could make on young black women. READ. 

OTD – AUGUST 1
Notable Historical Moments… MTV aired for the first time in 1981… apparently the first broadcast contained actual music videos…  

Notable Divorce: Really thought those two kids were going to make it… Elizabeth Taylor divorced Richard Burton for the second (!!) time in 1976 and sixth divorce overall. 

Famous Deaths… First woman Philippines President Corazon Aquino (b. 1933) in 2009.

Famous Birthdays… Intrepid explorer and Lewis sidekick William Clark (b. 1770)… Moby Dick author Herman Melville (b. 1819)… “What a long, strange trip it’s been…” Grateful Dead frontman, JerryGarcia (b. 1944).

Bonus Jerry Garcia Quote: “Constantly choosing the lesser of two evils is still choosing evil.

WHAT I’M READING NOW
For Improvement: Against the World by Kerry Eggers & Dwight Jaynes

**One sentence review: It’s a revealing look at the favorite team of my childhood, the Portland Trail Blazers, as it pursued an NBA Championship that ultimately eluded them.” 

For an Escape: Thunderball by Ian Fleming

**One sentence review: While many may be unaware, James Bond existed in books before movies, but fear not, Ian Fleming’s superspy still saves the world from impending nuclear disaster.

Embracing my inner history nerd: The Rough Riders by Theodore Roosevelt

**One sentence review: Often referred to as “Alone in Cuba” by book critics at the time of its publication in 1899, I can confirm that while it is nothing if not a rollicing account, there seems to be a lot of emphasis on the lead swashbuckler, TR. 

WHAT I WATCHED
I watched Bohemian Rhapsody for the first time and it was nothing short of mesmerizing. Long before he was a Bond villain, Rami Malek won an Oscar for his portrayal of Freddie Mercury. Just a sensational performance for an actor I first “discovered” in the Tom Hanks/Julia Roberts vehicle Larry Crowne.  In other news: It’s now been nearly a month since I last watched Top Gun Maverick and I am feeling the need, the need for speed. Again. 

ESCAPE POD
My inner history geek continues to rejoice. A couple of weeks ago I was encouraged to listen to the American Scandal podcast and I consumed its series on the Pentagon Papers and the aftermath. Last week I started the series on Lance Armstrong’s rise and fall. Truly remarkable to listen to history come alive. All episodes are available for free on Spotify.

CLIP OF THE WEEK
Nobody does summer quite like this guy.

MY GIF TO YOU
Current mood as demonstrated by Sean Connery… 

QUOTABLE
Don’t be afraid to start over. This time you’re not starting from scratch. You’re starting from experience.
– Mel Robbins

THIS WAY OUT
Thanks for reading the latest edition of my Work In Progress newsletter. My goal is to spread inspiration and hope in a world that needs both more than ever. My goal is to release these newsletters each Monday – because who doesn’t need a shot of good news to start the work week? Look for a new article on my timeline later this week. Special thanks to Kim Kaupe and Terry Rice for encouraging me to launch this into the universe. As always, feedback is welcomed!