Giving Thanks in the Year 2020
Cholla Express: November 2020
It finally happened.
The weather turned. The endless summer of 2020 is over. Thank goodness.
Fall is a reminder that the seasons change, as they always do. Welcome news in a year relentless in delivering bad news.
Fall colors in Phoenix
A while back I wrote a New Year’s reflection on the eve of a new decade. The ‘10s saw the completion of a digital revolution, for better or worse. The last decade brought an economic recovery, but not a sense of stability. The turn of the year found the country in a state of limbo, in between the impeachment of a president and the impeachment trial in the Senate. It was peak drama in an era characterized by political drama. The year 2019 ended with a sense that we wanted to move on, but with knowledge that societal tumult was likely to continue for some time.
Even expecting a tumultuous near-term future, obviously I never expected the kind of year we’ve had with this pandemic.
So what is there to be thankful for?
For starters, I’m thankful for the performance of the Phoenix Suns and the Arizona Cardinals. They’ve both delivered entertaining diversions from reality in recent months.
The Suns haven’t made the playoffs in a decade, and they didn’t make the playoffs this year. But they came close, and they were the talk of the NBA bubble by going 8-0 in their games. The Suns were the last team picked for a “play-in” series of games before the playoffs. Competing against the top teams in the league, Devin Booker led the charge, along with fellow rising youngsters Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson. Second year center and number one draft pick Deandre Ayton hasn’t exactly played at Hakeem Olajuwon levels, but he’s been strong enough to give this Suns fan hope that next year is the year Phoenix returns to the playoffs.
I’m not a huge football fan, but I do enjoy watching a game every once and a while. And boy, did the Cardinals put on a show last Sunday night against the undefeated Seahawks. Arizona won in dramatic fashion in overtime. The game had me on the edge of my seat, yelling at the TV for hours.
Much like the Suns’ Devin Booker, second year Cardinals’ quarterback Kyler Murray has a chance to be a bonafide superstar one day. The future is bright with these teams.
Another thing I’m thankful for is the outdoors here in Arizona. The picture above was taken on a South Mountain hike. Right here in the Valley you can also find nature hikes on Camelback Mountain and the Piestewa Peak ranges. There’s a variety of other options available, from a short hike up A-mountain in Tempe to a slightly longer drive out to the Superstitions. In the city there are canals for running or biking, and the weather is cooling down enough to actually do those things at a reasonable hour.
An underrated part of this state is the geographic access to a versatile experience. If you live in Phoenix, you’re a two hour drive north to the high country pines. If you live in Northern Arizona or in a small town, you’re a reasonable drive away from Phoenix and its cultural offerings. No, we don’t have our own beaches, but we’re less than a half day’s drive to the beaches of San Diego, Los Angeles, or Rockypoint, Mexico. There’s no wonder why we’re one of the fastest growing populations in the country.
Finally, I’m thankful for this newsletter and for those who read it. In months like this one, where my time and my wits seem short, I’ve much enjoyed sitting down to write in this forum and hearing back from readers.
Thanks for reading and best wishes to you and yours.
Time is on Our Side
I’ll never forget the disorienting feeling when I moved to California and experienced daylight savings for the first time. I was a first-year teacher, already sleep deprived when I set my clock back in the fall — this was still the age before smartphone alarm clocks. After pondering the philosophical implications of losing an hour of time, the practical reality hit home when my alarm went off in the pitch dark of morning. The reverse effect in the spring almost makes it worthwhile, but I’m glad to be back in the time-change-free state of Arizona.
Historically, the reason we don’t change time is pretty simple: it’s blazing hot in Arizona, and nobody really wants an extra “savings” of daylight in the spring and summer.
For a bit more detail, here’s a clip from famed Arizona historian Marshall Trimble:
Arizona did go on DST with the rest of the nation on June 21, 1967. The sun didn't set that day until almost a quarter of nine. Restaurateurs and owners of drive-in theaters protested that it was killing business. Baseball umpires were wearing sunglasses during night games. In the spirit of “when they turn up the heat, I feel the pressure," the state legislature voted the following year to opt out on the law, and Arizona has been off DST ever since.
This clip inspires me to read more of Marshall Trimble’s work. Making a mental note here do some more research and perhaps write a blurb about him in a future newsletter.
Tweets of the Month
Yes, I procrastinated in writing this month’s newsletter, but it paid off because the evening of November 1st brought some spectacular sunsets to the Valley.
Here are two tweets that gave me some uplifting feelings in a break from stress-tweeting while imagining apocalyptic scenarios for our country following the election:
The future is in God’s hands now.
Have mercy on us.
Pardon the Self-Promotion
Since you are here reading the Cholla Express, I figured I will take a moment to offer links to find more of my work.
The two projects linked below are examples of reflective writing — a habit I picked up in my years working and studying in Jesuit academic institutions.
AFTER THE VIRUS: this is a podcast I created during the start of the pandemic. It continued for 10 episodes before I decided to end it as a closed series. Each episode features a clip from a song along with a scripted reflection about American society during these times. Each episode is short — under ten minutes, so the entire listening experience takes under two hours. You can find the podcast here, or search “After the Virus” on any podcasting app.
HEEL FAST: this is a short e-book compilation of writings done while recovering from surgery on a torn Achilles tendon. I’ve always been a very active person, and these writings provided an outlet while hobbled for an extended period of time. It took me six months before regaining the ability to walk on my own two feet. Two more months to regain athletic mobility. The collection chronicles the injury and healing process, while offering contemplations on gratitude and mindfulness. You can purchase the collection through Amazon for about the price you would pay for a cup of coffee. It can be downloaded onto your Kindle if you have one, or it can be read on your web browser if you don’t.
Both of these projects I think fit the mood of this particular Thanksgiving season.
Final Thoughts
We finally closed on our house, and are currently in the process of moving in. The next issue of this newsletter will be written from a new location. You know those red lights on top of the South Mountain radio towers? That’s about where we live.
I’ll leave you with this picture of our dog, Copper, posing in our new back yard.
If you missed an issue and want to catch up, check out the archives of Cholla Express.
See you in December.