Every two weeks, I share my thoughts about investing, career transitions, meaningful work, parenting, living intentionally, and other topics that engage me. I'm in my fifties and still trying to figure stuff out.
Beyond the Cove - Field Notes #4
Published 2 days agoΒ β’Β 3 min read
Welcome. π
Every two weeks, I share my writing on investing, career transitions, meaningful work, parenting, living intentionally, and other topics that engage me.
I'm still trying to figure stuff out.
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Field Notes Edition #4
Welcome to another Field Notes edition of Beyond the Cove. Iβm experimenting with a looser approach that's quicker to write and, hopefully, just as interesting for you to read.
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In these emails, Iβll share a few things I noticed lately that made me think, smile, or look twice. Maybe theyβll do the same for you.
Please share any feedback or ideas. Just hit reply.
Let's go...
Be You For years, I've heard about Chris I., a brilliant and extraordinarily kind classmate of my daughter's. So I was thrilled to hear him speak at graduation last weekend. Originally from Rwanda, Chris described moving to a small coastal town in Maine as a freshman and struggling to fit in. He looked different. He sounded different. He had no shared history or culture with those around him. When Chris naturally felt lost, he acted upon his grandfather's wise advice to "Be you," which to Chris meant spreading kindness and joy. He made every high school student feel welcomed and heard, even the younger kids like my son. At Yarmouth High School, Chris will be remembered for his smile and fist pumps offered to anyone passing him in the hall. These kids are amazing. They inspire me and keep me hopeful. β
Eli Manning on Glue Guys Eli's message echoes Chris I's (from above). From an early age, Eli understood the dangers of trying to be a better football player than his Hall of Fame father Archie or his all-everything brother Peyton. So, instead, he focused on being the best version of himself. Two Super Bowls later, it appears to have worked out quite well. The hosts (Alex Smith, Shane Battier, and Ravi Gupta) reflect on how they've applied this idea in their lives as parents. I was especially interested to hear the athletes caution against the popular trend of focusing kids on one sport too early. In any case, I'm enjoying the Glue Guys podcast more every time I listen.
Small Sparks of Joy Sometimes it doesn't take much. Recently, I've felt a spark from each of the following:
The bluest, clearest skies of the year for high school graduation. Thank you. A few days of weekend sun would be nice, too. Just sayin'
Neighbors and friends texted before the grad party to ask how they could help / what we needed.
Reflecting on two exchanges where I received some tough feedback. Never fun. Still, appreciated the trust shown in delivering the difficult message. Reminds me of the old saying that it's better to be kind than nice. Is there a difficult conversation you're avoiding?
These beautiful flowers decided to bloom last week. Thanks to a bit of help from a visitor (thanks, T) and Google Lens, I learned they're called Clematis. I've since learned that Apple Photos can identify objects in images, too. Neat!
Clematis plants bloom out back.
Lately, I've enjoyed listening to Tom Keene on Bloomberg Surveillance when I want a dose of markets en route to work. He's a welcome antithesis of Jim Cramer and sports a bow-tie no less (don't worry, I've seen pictures, I don't watch him while driving). Plus, he ends each segment with an "outtro," usually, but not always, from the '80s or '90s. Last week, he played Def Leppard's Photograph, which made me smile even though I never cared for the song! We need more "outtros" in life. What's yours? Today, I'm running with the Talking Heads.
Early morning coffee on the back porch for much-needed solitude.
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Hi! I'm David.
Every two weeks, I share my thoughts about investing, career transitions, meaningful work, parenting, living intentionally, and other topics that engage me. I'm in my fifties and still trying to figure stuff out.
