Golden Opportunity

This week: A hero gets his due, Walter Cronkite likes a good button, and minty-fresh writing spaces.

Earlier this week I was sitting at my desk, busily trying to get over myself when I came across a story that I felt would be of interest to the mysterious man I sometimes talk about here, the man known as Beloved Mentor Pal (BMP). As you can probably tell, BMP is a person I hold in great esteem, otherwise I wouldn't carry on about him here. I want all of you to love him too. And yet, I really do try to tread carefully about how and when I do talk about him, because he might get fed up with me, and we can't have that.

Anyway, BMP being a French historian, and me being one of his earnest mentees, I thought he would like to know that the French National Assembly posthumously promoted a man named Alfred Dreyfus to brigadier general.

Unless you are an incredible nerd who doesn't get out much (ahem), chances are you don't know who Dreyfus is or why this is significant, so I'll explain. In 1894, Dreyfus was a Jewish army captain who was arrested on false espionage charges, publicly stripped of his rank, humiliated, and sentenced to life imprisonment. Novelist Emile Zola wrote a famous open letter to French president Felix Faure called "J'Accuse" that was published on the front page of L'Aurore. In it, Zola pointed out all the judicial errors and lack of good evidence in Dreyfus's trial, accused the French government of antisemitism, and maintained that Dreyfus was unlawfully jailed. In a country that was deeply polarized over this case, the article didn't make Zola too popular with a certain set; he was found guilty of libel, and left for England to avoid being jailed. Still, Zola said what needed to be said in defense of this poor man who loved France and was a very good officer. I'm digressing a bit here, but if you get the chance, read some Zola. Just trust me. The man really knew how to bear witness.

Dreyfus wasn't exonerated until 1906. When he was, he was reinstated to the military with the rank of major, which is one rank higher than he was. He quit a year later, only to return to fight in World War I as a reserve officer. After that, he was promoted to colonel. But his supporters have contended that Dreyfus would have become a brigadier general if his career hadn't been interrupted by his wrongful conviction and incarceration. This is why this belated promotion is interesting. Also interesting, President Emmanuel Macron may announce that he will be interring Dreyfus in the Pantheon, the shrine to French national heroes.

So I sent a link about this to BMP, but he didn't have a subscription to the outlet in question, so he called me and asked what I was sending him. BMP is a military man, so I froze up trying to remember Dreyfus's new title (because if I had gotten it wrong, he might have bellowed something like "NO! That rank does not exist!"), and then I just gave up and clicked into the link and told him what was what. He said that was nice, and I thought "Nice? Just nice? Where is the grand oratory about justice?" It didn't come. So I figured, justice could be nice too.

Somehow (and I'm not sure how) we began to conversationally frolic about what it's like to get exactly what you want. BMP knows. Twenty five years ago he wound up in Brooks Brothers made-to-order with Walter Cronkite and talked to him about buttons and other important aspects of being a well-dressed gentleman. I've interviewed a lot of people, but I never had the good fortune of meeting Cronkite, so I envy BMP for having a real honest-to-God moment with him. By the same token, it does make me a little sad that BMP hasn't gotten exactly what he wanted since then. He deserves that, in part because he's the sort of guy who counsels that if you see something that will make your life better in some way, to buy it "because you will never have that opportunity again."

Never? Like no chance in hell? Never ever? Really? Reflecting on the leopard print coat I've been wanting, I asked him, "but what if it's frivolous?"

"Do it!" he thundered.

I share this because I want to give you the same green light BMP gave me. As you may recall, last week I was all about finding that one thing you can do, no matter how big or small, to make your corner of the world a little bit better. This week, I argue you can't make your world a little or a lot better if you're not taking care of yourself, or finding that thing that will put a spring in your step. Maybe it's a leopard print coat. Maybe it's David Lynch's harmonicas (which sold at auction this week for $7,000). Maybe it's another book for your to-be-read pile. Whatever it is, DO IT.

Until next week, friends.

Paige

Writing prompt: Think about the last time you took a chance on something. When was it, what were the circumstances, and what were the results of that chance you took? If you could take a chance on anything right now, what would it be and why?

Anyone can carry his burden, however hard, until nightfall. Anyone can do his work, however hard, for one day. Anyone can live sweetly, patiently, lovingly, purely, till the sun goes down. And this is all life really means.

-- Robert Louis Stevenson

Endnotes

What I've been watching

LSU Baseball in the College World Series. The Tigers face Coastal Carolina this Saturday night for the best-of-three series final.

What I've been listening to

"Hidden Parts" podcast, which is about how mental chatter shapes how you live, work, and lead and how to cut through that noise. This is only funny because earlier this week I had to slap around an inner voice that was trying to convince me I'd never please my new editor, who has a PhD in poetry and would surely see me as the hack that I am. Another inner voice yelled: "YOU ACT AS IF YOU'VE NEVER WRITTEN A PROFILE BEFORE. SNAP OUT OF IT!" So I did. Anyone here have trouble with this sort of thing too? Hit reply and let me know when it crops up for you, and how you deal with it.

What I'm enjoying

This Moroccan Mint candle, which somehow manages to be uplifting and soothing. Now my office smells like a nerd spa.

Reading anything good?

Hit reply and let me know what it is.

If you're in Atlanta, check out...

"Campbell Addy: The Stillness of Elegance" at SCAD FASH until September 7. It's a gorgeous exhibit of the British-Ghanaian artist's portraiture with everything from ad work for Balenciaga to shots of Usher in concert. I also really liked that it had his notebooks on display, so you could see how he thought through some of his photographs before he even set up. Beautiful, beautiful work here.

Where I hope you'll donate this week

This has been a particularly cruel week for LGBTQ+ youth. The Supreme Court upheld Tennessee's ban on gender affirming care for minors. And, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration announced that they will be closing the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline's LGBTQ+ youth subnetwork within the next 30 days. Please consider a gift to The Trevor Project, which will certainly see a serious uptick in demand by LGBTQ+ youth seeking its suicide prevention counseling. Please help show these kids that they're loved and not alone. Thank you.