What I Care About

— July 13, 2025 —

Today I watched Cole Palmer play soccer. The match, the final of the Club World Cup, was the first professional match that I had viewed. I viewed it because I was confirming, as 12-year-old SWM was attempting to do for a semi-final last Wednesday, that the match could be seen live for free on the internet. Minutes before this final began, Jannik Sinner had defeated Carlos Alcaraz in the men’s final of Wimbledon …

Knowing nothing about Palmer as a person, and not having seen Messi or Ronaldo in matches, I found myself studying Palmer to learn about strategy. It was as if his actions on the field revealed, clearly, his thinking. His thinking was clear, and therefore his actions were clear. — 7:59 PM CT

— July 15, 2025 —

During one of the days when you, SWM, AEM, and I went to the park, SWM was angry about soccer. After practicing briefly with you, he lay in the grass on the other side of a big tree, away from us. He had said, “If I can’t do this, then I’ll never make it to the next team”.

I was trying to cheer up SWM by suggesting other pursuits for us for the afternoon, such as getting ice cream. AEM commented thoughtfully, “I think you shouldn’t say anything right now”.

Later she went to rock-climb on the big rock, and you joined her. Eventually SWM went to the rock too, on the other side where I could not see him. Suddenly AEM came running to where I sat in the grass. She delivered the happy news by saying, “SWM smiled!” elaborating, “He looked up at me and smiled”.

I was touched. Only 7-years-old, yet becoming wiser with age, she was trying to make me feel better.

— Clear thinking helps a person to act with courage. —

Instances of courage demonstrated and acknowledged can be found in