#724 Musings Beyond the Bunker(Wednesday August 9)
Good morning,
EXISTENTIALISM AND LOSS
Existential authors are a favorite of mine. Top of that list is Albert Camus. But not far behind him is Franz Kafka. Kafka, of course, is the author of such great stories as The Trial, Metamorphoses, and The Castle. Overarching themes were the absurdity of life, existential anxiety, alienation, and self-doubt. He was quite prolific over his short 41 year life. Who wouldn’t want to have their name turned into a noun—like Kafkaesque!
People often misinterpret existentialist authors as seeing the futility and senselessness of life. Rather, they find the absurdity in life’s brevity, meaninglessness, and loss. And they generally are optimistic (or at last at peace) in accepting life for what it is and then finding meaning amidst the meaninglessness and hope amidst loss.
There is a story about Kafka, who, at age 40, never married and without children, was walking through a park one day in Berlin when he met a girl who was crying because she had lost her favorite doll. She and Kafka searched for the doll unsuccessfully. This story has been posted and reposted, so I can’t attribute authorship but here it is:
Kafka told her to meet him there the next day and they would come back to look for her.
The next day, when they had not yet found the doll, Kafka gave the girl a letter "written" by the doll saying "please don't cry. I took a trip to see the world. I will write to you about my adventures."
Thus began a story which continued until the end of Kafka's life.
During their meetings, Kafka read the letters of the doll carefully written with adventures and conversations that the girl found adorable.
Finally, Kafka brought back the doll (he bought one) that had returned to Berlin.
"It doesn't look like my doll at all," said the girl.
Kafka handed her another letter in which the doll wrote: "my travels have changed me." The little girl hugged the new doll and brought the doll with her to her happy home.
A year later Kafka died.
Many years later, the now-adult girl found a letter inside the doll. In the tiny letter signed by Kafka it was written:
"Everything you love will probably be lost, but in the end, love will return in another way."
ONE PERSON CAN CHANGE A SPORT
A while back, I shared the story of the Fosberg Flop, as related by Howard Kroll. His unique change to what was then the standard long jump changed the sport forever. Alan Rosenbach shares a story about Charles Barkley’s effect on the rules of basketball:
“The Five Second Rule in the NBA, AKA the ‘Charles Barkley Rule.” Charles would stand with his back to the basket fifteen feet from the rim. He'd bang his big butt into the opponent and move him back 6 inches or so. Charles would do this ten or fifteen times and get close enough to the rim that he could turn around and score.
The NBA thought this type of play detracted from the beauty and movement of the game. Hence the Five Second Rule, whereby a player can not back down another player for more than five seconds.”
And, of course, arguably the most significant rule change in an American sport was the lowering of the pitcher’s mound (shifting some of the advantage away from pitchers and benefitting hitters) beginning with the 1969 season. It was largely based upon the strength of Bob Gibson and Don Drysdale that something had to be done. As The Bleacher Report explains:
“…1968 was the five-year culmination of the Second Dead Ball Era, in which pitching had become too dominant. After the season, the Lords of Baseball tightened the strike zone and lowered the mound. Hitting rebounded significantly, ending the days of herculean pitching feats, such as Gibson’s season-long dominance, Don Drysdale’s 58 consecutive scoreless innings and Denny McLain’s 31 victories.”
Have a great day,
Glenn