Work In Progress | 2.20.23
Work In Progress Newsletter
Edition 40 | February 20, 2023
WRITE THIS WAY…
Greetings and welcome to a special President’s Day edition of the Work In Progress newsletter! I’m Ryan McCrary, your long weekend warrior for the day. For the last 40 weeks and counting I’ve been scouring the news, interwebs and the occasional archived AOL Messenger group chats to share stories of hope and joy and triumph.
THANKFUL FOR THIS
One of my favorite charities is the “Make a Wish Foundation” which grants children suffering from grave diseases a chance to have their dreams come true. For his 60th birthday celebration, Michael Jordan donated $10 million to the charity – the largest individual gift in the organization’s history. In this NPR podcast, Katie Dankowski discusses how the legendary Chicago Bull granted her the biggest wish of her life as she was battling a brain tumor. → LISTEN
THREE DOTS… GOOD NEWS ONLY
Let the clean water flow forever… India just reached a milestone when it connected public water service to 80 million rural households, bringing the tally to 111 million or 56% of rural households in India… the Jal Jeevan Mission was started in 2019 when just 32.2 million homes had access to public water resources… Never give up… There are non-traditional students and then there is Dr. Nick Axten…. The 76-year old received a prestigious Fulbright scholarship to pursue a PhD in mathematics at the University of Pittsburgh in 1970, but Axten needed “a long hard think” which led to February of 2023 when he earned his doctorate in Philosophy from the University of Bristol.
BEST THING I SAW ON THE ‘GRAM LAST WEEK
WWE Hall-of-Famer “Macho Man” Randy Savage reminds us of the importance of therapy → CLICK
BEST THING I SAW ON THE TWITTER LAST WEEK
Meet Lucy, a 13-year old who slays Chopin despite severe obstacles. Inspiring! → WATCH
Meet Lucy.
— Rex Chapman🏇🏼 (@RexChapman) February 19, 2023
A 13-year-old who is blind and neurodiverse — as she plays a highly-complex Chopin piece.
This is truly incredible…
pic.twitter.com/6VK0VMwtWN
OTD – FEBRUARY 20
Enjoy yet another notable historical snapshot in the latest edition of On This Date…
Notable Historical Moments… John Glenn became the first American to orbit the earth aboard Friendship 7 in 1962… “African Queen” starring Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn, directed by John Huston is released in the United States…
Famous Birthdays… Iconic nature photographer Ansel Adams (1902-84)… Noted abolitionist and activist Angelina Grimké (1805-79)… Academy Award winner Sidney Poitier (1927-2022)… Grunge kingpin Kurt Cobain (1967-94)… Hockey Hall of Famer Phil Esposito turns 81… Round Mound of Rebound and the eternally talkative Charles Barkley turns 60… Billionaire Super Bowl performer Rihanna turns 35.
Famous Divorce… “Sonny & Cher” no more… Cher called it quits with Sonny Bono in 1974… The electricity fizzled… Baywatch star Carmen Electra left rocker Dave Navarro in 2007.
Famous Deaths… American social justice icon Frederick Douglass (1818-95)… US Navy Admiral Chester Nimitz (1885-1966)… Scintillating scribe Hunter S. Thompson (1937-2005).
Bonus Hunter S. Thompson Quote: “I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they’ve always worked for me.”
YET ANOTHER REASON…
Why I love sports, No. 3,245… former Saint Mary’s College star Clint Steindl showed tremendous kindness to a young fan immediately following a tough playoff loss for his Tasmania JackJumpers in an NBL elimination game. → CLICK
All class from Tasmania @JackJumpers Captain @ClintSteindl post match.
— Brent Costelloe (@brentcostelloe) February 19, 2023
Walking off, he noticed young Henry (who travelled all the way from Tassie) in tears… so he took off his boots and gave them to him.#jackjumpersculture @NBL #NBL23 pic.twitter.com/SkhIBRqvj9
WHAT I’M LISTENING TO AS I WRITE
I’m listening to the greatest hits of the legendary Ray Charles. Not a bad way to start the week! → LISTEN WITH ME
WHAT I WATCHED
I had no expectations when I sat down to watch it, but “The Way Back” starring Ben Affleck as a prep school legend returning to coach at his high school was exceptional. Affleck showcases battling demons while highlighting the redemption found in shaping young men on the hardwood. I highly recommend it! The Way Back is streaming now on HBOMax. → TRAILER
CLIP OF THE WEEK
Sad to see the news yesterday about the passing of one of my mom’s favorite actors, Richard Belzer. Check out his last appearance on Law & Order SVU → WATCH
The last appearance of our dear Richard Belzer. We will miss you 💔 pic.twitter.com/4k2NkYnWGN
— Law & Order SVU (@NBCSVU_fans) February 19, 2023
MY GIF TO YOU
In honor of pitchers and catchers reporting… → CLICK
QUOTABLE
“Don’t give in to complacency and cynicism. Don’t ignore what is bad, but concentrate on building what is good.”
– John Glenn, Astronaut, Pioneer, Pilot
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!