Hello, Adversity Weekly Roundup #06 - March 11, 2023
Hello, Adversity Weekly Roundup #06 - March 11, 2023
Remembering a disability rights icon, how Jerry Seinfeld finds inspiration and things centenarians say
Hi everyone!
Welcome to the sixth edition of the Hello, Adversity Weekly Roundup.
I don’t know about you, but March is one of my favorite times of the year. The days are getting longer. Baseball season is right around the corner. March Madness is in full force. Animals are waking up from their winter slumber with a case of the munchies.
Speaking of, this deer has visited our neighbor’s bird feeder the last three days:
Spring is almost here, and that is a beautiful thing.
Without further ado, here are this week’s links:
Summary: Renowned disability-rights advocate Judy Heumann passed away last Saturday at age 75. Heumann, known as the “mother of the disability rights movement”, fought for the rights of disabled individuals to live full, independent lives. Her advocacy efforts helped lay the groundwork for numerous pieces of legislation, including the Americans with Disabilities Act.
There is still much work to be done to make the world a more accessible and inclusive place. Heumann’s legacy lives on through a new generation of disability advocates inspired by her example.
Heumann was asked once about whether she saw her disability as a tragedy. Her response was eloquent and on point:
"Disability only becomes a tragedy when society fails to provide the things we need to lead our lives — job opportunities or barrier-free buildings, for example. It is not a tragedy to me that I'm living in a wheelchair."
I came across this article from 2017 in last Sunday’s Brain Food newsletter.
Comedian Jerry Seinfeld is known all over the world for his stand-up comedy and eponymous television show. What I never appreciated until recently was the work he put in over the years to become a great comic. He is constantly writing new jokes and working on new material, day after day.
This article touches on Seinfeld’s creative process and how he finds inspiration. When asked how he came up with the idea for Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, he first thought about what type of interview show he didn’t enjoy watching:
“It’s very important to know what you don’t like. A big part of innovation is saying, ‘You know what I’m really sick of?’ For me, that was talk shows where music plays, somebody walks out to a desk, shakes hands with the host, and sits down. ‘How are you?’ ‘You look great.’”
Often what appears effortless on the outside is the result of years and years of honing one’s craft. Seinfeld is a perfect example of this. Even then, success is not guaranteed. All we can control is the process.
Yale professor Laurie Santos, whose “Science of Wellbeing” class is annually one of the most popular undergraduate courses at the university, has come out with a six-week version of the class geared towards teenagers.
This is an excellent idea. The earlier we can teach well-being skills to children and teens, the better. One of my great frustrations is that kids aren’t really taught resilience strategies or how to deal with adversity in K-12. It is never too early to learn about how to find one’s purpose or how to put failure in its proper context. These skills are sorely needed.
From the article:
“More than a third of teens self-report experiencing poor mental health, and nearly half feel persistent sadness or hopelessness during the pandemic, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey that surveyed participants through mid-2021.
Even before the Covid-19 pandemic hit, those numbers had already increased by 40% from 2009 to 2019, the CDC noted. The agency’s survey also found that 20% of teens had seriously considered, and 9% had attempted, suicide.”
For those interested, there is also a free class for adults.
Centenarians have a keen understanding of what is truly important in life. They’ve seen it all and been through it all. They know what matters and what is a complete waste of time.
There are so many nuggets of wisdom in this article. Many of them made me laugh out loud. The older you get, apparently, the less you care about filtering your responses!
Some of my favorites:
Edmund W Gordon, 101: “I sometimes think it’s not just about meeting the right people, you have to do right by them to bring out the best in them.”
(Well-said.)
Yvonne Old, 101: “….if something’s going to help someone, then it’s worth doing.”
(Great name for a centenarian. Also great advice.)
Peter Whiteley, 100: “Always keep your temper, and laugh whenever you can. Keep your eyes open and notice what’s happening around you.”
(Laughter is truly the best medicine.)
Amelia Mendel, 106: “Having an interesting life has helped me to grow old….If I don’t want to get out of bed, I refuse to, because I can – I’m an old lady.”
😂
Dabirul Islam Choudhury, 103: “The most difficult thing for senior people is not having a purpose in life, but helping people gives me therapy. Young people should make something of their lives by getting on their feet and doing something positive, leaving an impression for others.”
(Helping others is a key component to finding purpose in life.)
Robert Healey, 102: “In the second world war, I was at Dunkirk … there are some things in life you can’t forget and that are difficult to speak of, but my theory is to be happy, as happy as can be. Worrying upsets the mind and it upsets the body – my advice is not to worry about anything.”
(Easier said than done, but the more we can let go of our worries, the better off we’ll be in the long run.)
Guy Warren, 101: “Keep an up-to-date and working b******* detector somewhere handy – you will need it many times.”
(So true.)
Christina Smith, 100: “Living a good life and experiencing different things is what’s kept me healthy.”
(New experiences are the spice of life. Monotony is stagnation.)
Alex Pelican, 100: “Always keep your mind open to new ideas, read widely so you understand different points of view, and think about how things could be better.”
(It is important to exercise your brain.)
Dorothy Marley, 102: “Try to get through each day without hurting anyone.”
(Emotionally or physically? Or both?)
On that cheerful note, have a great week everyone!
If you have any feedback on today’s email or want to send me a story to include in the future, please email me at HelloAdversity@substack.com or drop a comment below.