I once started a screenplay with the narrator saying: "I have two kinds of regret. Regret for things that I did. And regret for things I didn't do."
Perhaps another kind of regret is starting a screenplay but never finishing it…
When I started publishing daily essays on Facebook at the beginning of the pandemic, the most common feedback I received was that my memories resonated with people. But those memories were only one part of what I was trying to achieve.
My past, like everyone else’s, was littered with successes and failures, wins and losses, darkness and light. In retrospect, good and bad seemed roughly in balance over my 7.8 decades. You could say the two kinds of regret were also therefore in balance, I suppose.
Which brings me to the story behind Ricky Nelson's plaintive yet defiant ballad "Garden Party." The song recounts the night that the '60s heartthrob played before a packed house at Madison Square Garden while trying to make a comeback in 1972.
While he was on stage, Nelson thought the concert was turning into a disaster because the crowd seemed to be booing him off the stage whenever he tried to sing one of his new songs.
It later turned out that most of the booing was in fact directed at the security guards, who were roughing up some rowdy members of the crowd outside of the singer’s line of sight. But by the time Nelson learned about that, he’d already written and released “Garden Party.”
His assumptions about the boos may have been flawed; nevertheless he had a hit on his hands.
The key line in his song is "If memories were all I sang, I'd rather drive a truck."
That song turned out to be a very big hit, Nelson’s last in fact. Perhaps he regretted being wrong about the booing; or perhaps not. He died at age 45 in a plane crash on the way to a New Year's Eve concert.
Thursday Headlines:
I just graduated with a philosophy degree. Here’s my message to the Class of 2025. (WP)
The President’s Weapon — Why does the power to launch nuclear weapons rest with a single American? (Atlantic)
World’s richest 1% increased wealth by $33.9 trillion since 2015, Oxfam says (WP)
Hegseth says US strikes on Iran were 'historically successful' after ayatollah downplays impact (BBC)
CIA says it has evidence Iran’s nuclear program was ‘severely damaged’ as assessments of US strikes’ impact continue (CNN)
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard will be absent when key national security leaders brief lawmakers on Capitol Hill this week after the president grew angry at her over her comments on Iran. [HuffPost]
After stunning NYC mayor primary upset, Mamdani says Democrats need to focus on economic agenda (ABC)
Democrats fret about national fallout after Mamdani stuns in New York City (AP)
Europe placates Trump (Reuters)
Spain’s PM Pedro Sánchez at risk as Nato gamble sparks Donald Trump’s ire (Financial Times)
Immigrants drive population growth in a graying America, census shows (WP)
U.S. Is Creating 2 New Expanded Military Zones Along Border With Mexico (NYT)
Senate struggle over Medicaid cuts threatens progress on Trump’s big bill (AP)
RFK Jr. says US won’t donate to global vaccine effort (Politico)
Within two weeks of President Trump’s return to the White House, U.S.A.I.D. was on the cusp of oblivion. (NYT)
With federal cuts, the risk of civil rights stories being lost forever is growing (WP)
America’s Incarceration Rate Is About to Fall Off a Cliff — Long sentences and recidivism kept prison populations high for decades, but prisons are now starting to empty. (Atlantic)
A frothing-mad Trump administration, armed with allegations of "egregious" and "unlawful" behavior, has filed suit against every judge currently sitting on the bench in Maryland’s federal trial court, several of whom ruled against Trump in high-profile cases. [HuffPost]
‘Less Burnout, More Babies’: How Conservatives Are Winning Young Women (NYT)
Two young bears escaped their enclosure and went straight for the snacks. (WP)
Meta wins AI copyright lawsuit as US judge rules against authors (Guardian)
Why Does Every Commercial for A.I. Think You’re a Moron? (NYT Mag)
Pete Hegseth Vomits Out Of Tank Hatch (The Onion)
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