The File - October 23, 2022

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Opening Statement

We Are All Broken, and That Is What Makes Us Beautiful

White sandy beaches and the sea shells on the seashore. The child picked up the chipped purple shell and tossed it in his bag. Then he picked another white one that had a curved yellow streaks on it. His bag continued to gather weight as he tossed more shells into the bag. His 7 year old brother, who was was walking beside him had a puzzled look on his face. He asked, “Why did you pick broken shells. There were so many perfectly shaped shells, of the same color and size.” The answer was there in his brothers eye as he picked up another chipped shell. He then patiently replied, “Beauty isn’t always about perfections. Sometimes broken, chipped or dented pieces are even more precious. You may find so many shells that are perfect here, but eventually they too will break. Yet look at this purple shell I have. It looks like someone dented a smiley into. Every time I look at it, I will end up smiling. It may have been broken for some, but for me it was unique.”

Case in Chief

Read, Watch or Listen

  • The $30 Million Dollar Lottery Scam

    • Read: How a Michigan real-estate broker became convinced he had cracked the lottery—and how he tricked his investors into financing his scheme.

  • 704,000 Dominoes Fall and Set a New Record

    • Watch: The Dutch Domino Team took two weeks to set up a course of 750,000 dominoes in an attempt to set the amateur record at the World Domino Collective. You can watch all 17 minutes of dominoes zigging, zagging, climbing stairs, shooting down zip lines, and even riding a Ferris wheel in the video.

  • The Education of a Queen (Wilson Harris, The Atlantic, December 1943)

    • Read: Written the year before the then-Princess Elizabeth turned 18 (she became queen at 25), and about two years before the end of World War II, this 1943 article reads like the time capsule it is.

  • The Winners of the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards

    • View: The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards have been unearthing hilarious and heartwarming photos of creatures basically being their best selves since 2015.

Closing Argument

Healing is on my mind this week so my closing argument is a few quotes on the topic:

“Love one another and help others to rise to the higher levels, simply by pouring out love. Love is infectious and the greatest healing energy.”
— Sai Baba

“The place of true healing is a fierce place. It’s a giant place. It’s a place of monstrous beauty and endless dark and glimmering light. And you have to work really, really, really hard to get there, but you can do it.”
— Cheryl Strayed

“Healing takes courage, and we all have courage, even if we have to dig a little to find it.”
— Tori Amos

Stay well and know that you are important.
Chris