Shabbat shalom.
We are away this week, heading eventually to Vermont (God’s country) for a week of hiking and skiing at Smuggler’s Notch. We have been making this trek for over 20 years, a pilgrimage that started shortly after my dad passed and we decided buying real estate on a credit card was a good way to deal with his loss. Turns out it was a really good idea, as each year we make more memories on these mountain ski trips that continue to bring the family together. Soon, our grandchildren will be enrolled in Smuggs ski school, sleeping arrangements will become much more challenging, and the treasured memories will continue.
I bore you with this family mush as my way of wishing you all the best holidays and a happy new year, and announcing a pause in the JNR until after the new year. One of the great things about the Substack platform is that it introduces you to many new writers and I recently ran across a Zine called Oxford Sour, produced by Christopher Gage, who’s latest piece was entitled, “How to Eat an Elephant”, a brilliant lament on FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out), in which he writes:
This box-ticking disease is everywhere one looks. At concerts, out are the lighters, and in are the smartphones recording footage nobody will ever willingly watch. At every major landmark in every major city, swarms of standardised faces jostle for selfies. We’d rather prove we were present than be present. We’d rather be seen than see. Ironically, by fearing we’ll miss out, we miss out.
So, I am logging off for a few weeks to make sure I stay present and avoid missing out, but also to avoid carving a trail into a dense glade beyond my modest skiing capabilities. And, to take a break from the dreadful news cycle that only looks like it will get worse next year. But before I do, a quick tip of the kipah this week to my Dad, who while we miss him dearly, inspired our dumb purchase of this time sharing vacation that is a gift that keeps on giving.
And lastly, anglophile that I am, I am closing with a classic John Lewis ad (UK Department Store), which reminds me of my wife, who gets way more pleasure out of giving gifts then receiving them and has a real hard time waiting to give them. She too, has been a gift that keeps on giving. Enjoy, and happy New Year everyone!
And hey, stay present, and let’s be careful out there.
Brad out.
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