Work In Progress Newsletter
Edition 16 | September 5, 2022

WRITE THIS WAY…
So excited for the kickoff of edition No. 16 of the Work In Progress newsletter! So nice to see you on this Labor Day. I’m your promoter of positive Ryan McCrary. Happy to declassify the following details. 

A heaping helping of good news loads in 3… 2… 1

THREE DOTS… GOOD NEWS ONLY
Skateboarding is complicated enough, but imagine attempting tricks while blindfolded… Meet 35-year old Justin Bishop who refused to let a degenerative eye condition prevent him from pursuing his dreams… After fleeing the Taliban, members of the Afghani women’s soccer national team’s made the harrowing journey to Australia and freedom… now team captain Fati and her teammates are returning to the pitch at long last… While doing a live television interview during a break in the fighting, Ukrainian soldier Yurii Gerun proposed to journalist Maryna Pityliak… spoiler alert, she said yes… Shahira Davis, owner of Little Scholars of the Future Learning Academy in Frankford, Pa., has truly come full circle… As a child Davis was placed in a group home and nearly 15 years later was lost while driving and found the same phone booth she had used to call for help. Today she owns the building and is teaching the next generation… What does one do after becoming the first native Alaskan elected to the US House of Representatives? Mary Peltola returned to her hometown of Bethel to go fishing.

BEST THING I SAW ON THE ‘GRAM LAST WEEK
Serena Williams likely played in her last Grand Slam last week at the US Open, but gave fans of the icon more reasons to cheer. A goosebump-inducing mashup of her career right here… → WATCH

BEST THING I SAW ON THE TWITTER LAST WEEK
Surf photographer Dave Nelson shot this footage of his dog playing catch with an unlikely partner…. → WATCH

OTD – SEPTEMBER 5
An extremely tumultuous day historically speaking. We will strive for calm next week.

Notable Historical Moments… Eleven Israeli athletes were taken hostage and later killed by Palestinian Black September Group at the Munich Olympics… The Great Fire of London ends in 1666 after destroying 13,200 houses and eight deaths… Hurricane Irma becomes the most powerful hurricane ever recorded with wind speeds of 185 miles per hour in 2017… 

Notable Nuptials… Daredevil Evil Knievel married Linda Joan Bork in 1959… the union crashed and burned in 2010. (#dadjoke)

Famous Deaths… War leader of the Oglala Lakota Crazy Horse died (1840-77)

Famous Birthdays… I’m Batman… Michael Keaton turns 71… Legendary Queen frontman and Hall of Fame performer Freddie Mercury (1946-91)… Noted cavewoman Raquel Welch turns 82… Notorious outlaw and gunslinger Jesse James (1847-82)…

Bonus Michael Keaton Quote: “Dying is a really hard way to learn about life.”

WHAT I’M READING NOW
For Improvement: Life on the Run by Bill Bradley

**One sentence review: The Princeton Rhodes Scholar turned Basketball Hall-of-Famer turned US Senator recounts a pivotal season for the New York Knicks.  

BONUS BRADLEY QUOTE: “Leadership is unlocking people’s potential to become better.”

For an Escape: Without Fail by Lee Child

**One sentence review: Jack Reacher saves the Vice President of the United States (and surely, democracy) from a would-be assassin in another rolicking adventure.

Embracing my inner history nerd: A History of Warfare by John Keegan

**One sentence review: A brilliant account of the history of war from antiquity to the early 1990s before the War on Terror entered the lexicon. 

SHAMELESS PLUG
I wrote some words on the last president of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev. A remarkable man from an era that seems very, very far away right now. → READ

CLIP OF THE WEEK
I once thought that former San Diego Padre Trevor Hoffman had the best walkout song and entrance from the bullpen. I will always admit when I am wrong and this proves that the bar has been raised again. Watch this entrance by the New York Mets Edwin Diaz with Timmy Trumpet live from Citi Field.

MY GIF TO YOU
A live look at me wrapping up another dose of good news. No, no… thank you, Chuck Norris!

QUOTABLE
“Anybody can jump a motorcycle. The trouble begins when you try to land it.”
– Evil Knievel 

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!