Our Life in the Arts

Questions, reality, and musings on a life of joy and wonder

Vol. 2, No. 7

July 11, 2022

Random Thoughts

By Rich Holly

I read about a dozen newsletters every morning, all from reputable sources. I want to know
what’s going on in the world, but I don’t enjoy watching and hearing about it on the television
news shows. There’s certainly overlap in what stories they’re reporting, yet most of them also
include content that is their own or not covered elsewhere. It’s also common for them to
include links to human interest stories.

The oft-reported news events of the past month or so have made me spend considerable time
thinking, wondering, worrying, speculating, etc., and it has all led me to numerous random
thoughts. As I thought through this month’s post, it occurred to me that it may be a good idea
to help cleanse my mind and share some of these with readers. Perhaps you’ll find this exercise
useful for yourself, too.

Here goes:

• How does someone start to become greedy?
• I enjoy watching modern dance
• I really enjoy watching kids dance
• How about we have a steady, gentle rain between 2am and 4am several days a week and let’s skip the strong storms, okay?
• Why does the internet get slow right when you have to upload a bunch of files?
• How many times in the world’s history have people fought against evil and won? What’s up
  with too many people not understanding that evil has no place? Why do we have to have this
  fight over and over again?
• I miss Bill Withers
• Is there a single state that requires a course in financial literacy in order to graduate high
  school? I doubt it
• It is truly important to find at least one thing each day that makes you laugh
• Music, art, theatre, and dance therapy need more national attention and respect
• If you’re too young to remember the Smothers Brothers, start watching them online
• Numerous studies have shown that the USDA food pyramid is bad for our health. Why do they keep supporting it?
• I wonder what it would be like to live in New Zealand
• Schitt’s Creek and The West Wing are two of the best television shows of the last quarter
  century
• I really need my alone/quiet time each day
• How is it that Pat Metheny is so damn good at performance and composition?
• I used to volunteer to read to kids in preschool. I need to get back to that

• I’m excited that A Strange Loop is doing so well on Broadway
• Recumbent bikes are the bomb
• I love mentoring students and young professionals
• What did I do before Post-It notes were a thing?
• I have awesome work colleagues
• If you’ve never been to a Puerto Rican Day parade, you must go
• Yes, I admit it, I’m addicted to Wordle
• I count my blessings that I’ve been able to purchase some great original works of art
• I’ve had several rehearsals with our faculty rock band the past six weeks. It is so joyous and rewarding
• Hate is a learned construct. Stop teaching it
• Iced coffee, baby
• Too often it feels like we’ve lost a bunch of the transparency we gained over the last few decades
• Have you visited every museum within reasonable driving distance of your home? I encourage you to do so
• John Denver was right – ain’t nuthin’ like a home-grown tomato
• I wish I had participated in debate team in high school
• What’s with the billionaire space race? (see my first item?) So many other worthy ways to utilize spare change
• Exercise your right to vote
• Apparently, we need to keep saying this – don’t litter
• I recommend you buy the best stereo system you can afford, and spin some vinyl
• Figure out how to live on 80% (or less) of your take home pay, save and invest the rest
• Everyone should own and play a guitar

There are plenty more where these came from, and I just might start keeping track of these
more often. Give it a try. If anyone wants to learn more about the stories behind any of these,
let’s talk!

Rich Holly serves Arts NC State and the NC State University community as the Executive Director
for the Arts.
 
All posts in the “Our Life in the Arts” series are available here.