Mattering

I’m not sure that I ever fully appreciated it at the time — in fact, I’m quite sure I didn’t — but during the years that one of my obligations was to drop my kids off at school or camp it actually was a privilege.

Like all adults trying to balance responsibilities, I probably complained about it on occasion, and it certainly could be stressful when we were running late.

But it was a privilege because it was one of my opportunities to play an essential role in our social ecosystem. 

Believing that your role matters is not always the easiest thing to achieve in American culture. Years later, when the kids were grown, I missed it. And I started feeling rather inessential. 

Retiring from work made everything worse, as my professional responsibilities, once deemed by many as weighty and significant, melted away just like those parental duties.

And it was that point that I started pondering how much I ever did matter in the larger scheme of things.

Early in 2020, just as the pandemic was arriving and I was recovering from a stroke, I moved into an assisted care facility. At the time it seemed like the only option left for me. 

In fact, the last place on earth I needed to be was with a bunch of other old people walled off from society, waiting to die. Nothing against the staff members in there, most of whom were terrific, or the residents, but every minute I spent in that place my hope was evaporating and my spirit was being crushed.

But in the end I was one of the lucky ones who escaped. My family rescued me and that’s why I can tell this little story today.

As I woke up one recent morning, it was obvious that the heat wave had finally broken. Fresh cool air swept in from the ocean. 

As I drank my first cup of coffee, my 11-year-old granddaughter appeared. Her parents were busy and she asked if I could give her a ride.

Without hesitation, I grabbed the car keys.

HEADLINES:

• Republican doubts delay Trump's tax-cut bill in the House (Reuters)

• They Didn’t Have to Do This (Atlantic)

• Poorest Americans Dealt Biggest Blow Under Senate Republican Tax Package (NYT)

• What the GOP’s tax bill means for your health care (WP)

• 4 killed, 14 hurt in Chicago mass shooting: 'Absolute chaos' (ABC)

• Judge Rejects Trump’s Attempt to Stop Asylum Claims at Border (NYT)

• How to Turn the U.S. Into an Immigration Police State in One Big Bill (Bulwark)

• What ICE can (and can’t) legally do during an immigration arrest (WP)

• Wisconsin Supreme Court Strikes Down 1849 Abortion Ban (NYT)

• Beijing Braces for US Trade Deals That Aim to Shut Out China (Bloomberg)

• Dalai Lama lays out succession plan, denying Chinese efforts at control (WP)

• Trump said Israel has agreed on terms for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza and warned Hamas to accept the deal before conditions worsen as he prepares to host Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House next week. [AP]

• Trump Withholds Nearly $7 Billion for Schools, With Little Explanation —

  The money, which was allocated by Congress, helps pay for after-school programs, support for students learning English and other services. (NYT)

• Critical Links Between Scientists and Whistleblowers Face Growing Challenges (Science Mag)

• Astronomers spot potential 'interstellar visitor' shooting through the solar system toward Earth (LiveScience)

• Scientists Found a Third State of Life. It Begins After Death. (Popular Mechanics)

• RFK Jr. Is Playing With Babies’ Lives (Bloomberg)

• Judge Keeps Combs in Jail Until Sentencing (NYT)

• Why Meta Should Give Up on Superintelligence (The Information)

• No one likes meetings. They’re sending their AI note takers instead. (WP)

• Defeat of a 10-Year Ban on State A.I. Laws Is a Blow to Tech Industry (NYT)

• Researchers Train Mice To Choose Between Life-Saving Medications And Other Essentials (The Onion)