Come On Computer!

I’m old enough that passing time has become a breeze. If something’s going to happen a week from now I just think, it’ll be here soon enough—time flies. But I’ve had a hard time waiting for my new computer to arrive. It’s not due till tomorrow, Friday the 8th, but even so I’m out there checking the porch and the mailbox three times a day (maybe it’ll get here early?). In the meantime I’m doing most of my work on the little iPad Air. The battery runs down quickly, but it’s easier for me to type on its virtual keyboard than it is to type on the laptop for some odd reason.

It occurred to me that I’m really lucky to have my work. You’ve heard of guys who don’t want to retire and can’t seem to stop working? I used to joke that we have to spend the first half of our lives learning to work when we’d rather not, and the second half learning to take it easy when we’d rather keep working. I can work as long as I want to—as long as my memory holds up, anyway. That’s nice.

The worst off in this respect are great athletes—they start learning to work when they’re little, at which point it’s just playing, and then, if they’re good enough to be standouts as professionals, they do nothing but play for the first forty or so years of their lives, assuming they’re lucky with their health. Then comes the long, long tail…another forty years or so of being a has-been. Maybe a celebrated and still-famous has-been, but still, it must be hard. It’s sometimes said that great athletes have to die twice.

Of course, some of them pack a lot of glory into small tidbits of time. Consider this amazing recent fact from baseball. Shohei “Sho-time” Ohtani, the Japanese baseball pitcher and designated hitter who now plays for the Los Angeles Dodgers, reached the milestone of 50 homers and 50 stolen bases for the first time ever not long ago. Actually, he finished the game 51-51 just for good measure. During the game, he: 

1. Hit three home runs in one game
2. Had 6 hits in one game (he went 6 for 6)
3. Stole 2 bases in one game
4. Had 5 extra-base hits in one game
5. Batted in 10 runs in one game

All of which, Rich Eisen points out, we have seen before. Since RBIs started being a stat more than 100 years ago in 1920, players have done one or another of all five of those things or better. But no single person in all of baseball since 1920 has ever done all five of those things IN THEIR ENTIRE CAREER. And Shohei Ohtani did it all in one single game.

Not only that, but he came within a hairsbreadth of hitting for the cycle, too (hitting a single, double, triple, and home run in one game, a feat about as rare in baseball as a no-hitter). Eisen called it the single best game any hitter in baseball has ever had. Ever—going all the way back to Babe Ruth.

I don’t know, is that enough glory to be worth having to live a long twilight as “Shohei Ohtani, who used to be Shohei Ohtani”? I’m not sure. As least he probably won’t have to live out his life mentally impaired by his sport, like Muhammed Ali or Jim McMahon. Me, I’d rather be like symphony conductors, who typically keep working well into old age, and sometimes even have their best years late in life. But we all play the hand we’re dealt, I guess.

As far as my pain in going without the tool of my trade for a week, it brings to mind the science fiction writer Isaac Asimov, who owned six IBM Selectric electric typewriters, for redundancy, so he’d never get stuck without one. He fretted and worried whenever even one of them had to go off to the shop for repair. He wrote or edited more than 500 books in his lifetime, not to mention an estimated 90,000 letters and postcards. He had to write; every day. He must have loved to work.

Mike

P.S. I can’t publish pictures from the iPad. That’s how come no illustrations this week.

Original contents copyright 2024 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved. Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. (To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below or on the title of this post.)

Featured Comments from:

Comments

[adamct]

I don't have anything to add...I just want to say that I really loved this post. Thank you, Mike!

[DB]

Issac —> Isaac

[Ronny Nilsen]

Marques Brownlee: The M4 Mac Mini is Incredible!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z19HM7ANZlo

So probably worth the wait. :-)

[darlene]

Your reflections on time resonate. As a retired commercial photographer and advertising artist, I've watched my craft evolve in surprising ways. While retirement might seem like a full stop, for many of us, it's just a pivot to new creative ventures. For me, it's capturing landscapes with big cameras and creating fine art from my designs and illustrations that keep me inspired. And like you, I'm eagerly awaiting a new computer soon—our essential tools feel like part of us, especially when it's time for an upgrade.

It's a joy to keep creating and letting our work evolve as we do. I'm grateful for the freedom to shape my projects on my own terms, like, as you mentioned, with symphony conductors finding their rhythm later in life. Staying connected to the art we love is truly a privilege.

[Gordon R. Brown]

Symphony conductor Herbert Blomstedt, age 97, recently completed three weeks of concerts in Japan. He is said to be the world's oldest active conductor.

Here's a report from his backup conductor, who wasn't needed:

https://slippedisc.com/2024/10/the-best-job-in-music-is-subbing-for-herbert-blomstedt-97/

[Jeff]

You wrote, “Not only that, but he came within a hairsbreadth of hitting around the bases, too (hitting a single, double, triple, and home run in one game).” That’s called hitting for the cycle.

[KeithB]

It might be instructive to look at Fernando Valenzuela who passed away at the time of the World Series.

He was a famous pitcher during the 80's (?) and then went on to a long career as a broadcaster. He was fondly remembered and memorialized during the World Series, but I suspect he would have liked some of that while he was still alive. I doubt that he would have been mentioned had he not passed away.

[James Weekes]

I believe that it’s called hitting for the cycle when you hit a single, double, triple and home run in the same game.

[Kye Wood]

Carrie Fisher said of 'fame' that having grown up with two famous parents (Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher), she never experienced it as fame.

But merely as obscurity, biding its time.

Isn't that a beautiful way to look at it?

[Dave B]

See….THIS is why I read and contribute to your Blog. Out of the blue, you drop a post I wouldn’t have found or read ANYWHERE ELSE. I started ‘years ago’ for the photography ( and still read everything you post in that regard). But these gems are priceless and can only be found here. Thank you!!!

[BG]

Your friend, Kirk Tuck, has his "Visual Science Lab" blog open again. But there are no new posts. Maybe he could not retire, either.

[Moose]

Six Selectrics = excessive.

One computer = insufficient.

Just sayin'

Two CPU Moose

[Norm]

Maybe there needs to be a sponsorship situation for retirees–someone who’s been retired for a while, who I can call to talk me through the recurring impulse to return to work.

[Mel]

Mike, I'm a fountain pen guy myself. The feel of nib on quality paper can't be duplicated by any keyboard. Difficult to post the written word easily, though. You've been doing this for a while - you'll figure out how to communicate in whatever form gets it done!

[Henry White]

BG, Kirk Tuck opened the blog in read only mode so the people who requested access to past posts could have time to download what they wanted and read in their own time. It is a temporary situation undertaken because of multiple requests. Kirk has NOT retired from commercial photography yet. He is still quite active there. He also suggests that you visit his instagram address if you are Jonesing for photos with very, very brief commentary. The blog is not proceeding. Not at all. Only re-opened briefly as a courtesy.

[D. Payne]

I can recommend the two volumes of Isaac Asimov's autobiography. He was an amazingly productive writer in many fields. His science fiction I never cared much for, but it's interesting reading about his life and work habits. Most of his youth he spent working like a dog in his parent's candy/bodega store.

[Kevin B]

"Japanese baseball pitcher and pinch-hitter"

He's actually a designated hitter (DH), meaning he bats in place of the pitcher. Pitching is a specialized task and most are poor hitters (except for Ohtani-san, who seems to do whatever he wants).

A pinch hitter is a batter who replaces another batter, usually late in the game.

[Olybacker]

I know how you feel, Mike. I was without an internet connection for nearly a month and had to cycle to the nearest Library just to read my e-mails & reply and do other stuff online.