Work In Progress - October 17, 2022

Work In Progress Newsletter | Edition 22 | October 17, 2022

WRITE THIS WAY…

Greetings and welcome to a Spin City edition of the Work In Progress newsletter! I’m Ryan McCrary, your Inspiration Ironman. For the last 22 weeks and counting I’ve been scouring the news, interwebs and the occasional fax machine to share stories of hope and joy and triumph. Some weeks are far easier than others.?

Last week I wrote about one of my longtime heroes Michael J. Fox and his courageous battle against Parkinson’s Disease. Rather than disappearing from the public spotlight, Fox has become the face of the fight for the cure. His foundation has offered hope, encouragement and support to thousands. More tangibly, the Michael J. Fox Foundation has raised more than $1 Billion for research devoted to curing the disease.

Over the last week I rewatched the Back to the Future trilogy. Much like the first time I watched these films, I was swept away by the story of visiting the past and the tantalizing prospect of making one change to impact the future.?

What would I most like to go back in time to change? At this moment, I would dial Dec. 12, 1980 into the Delorean and buy Apple stock. Lots of it.?

BEST THING I SAW ON THE ‘GRAM LAST WEEK

Banging the drums quickly… and blindfolded. → WATCH

BEST THING I SAW ON THE TWITTER LAST WEEK

Oh it’s just two 70-year olds doing an acoustic version of an iconic Rolling Stones song? → WATCH

THREE DOTS… GOOD NEWS ONLY

How many 11-year olds do you know that opened a food bank with their birthday money? Meet Isaac Winfield, a young man born with a rare chromosome disease which prevents him from reading and writing but does nothing to dampen his philanthropy… Check out his work on Facebook… Listen to the sound of happiness, without the constant shedding… The Puurli website allows visitors to dial up kitties purring and adjust the sound, tone and zen level in an allergy free setting… Bike Bus captures the heart of the Rose City… Portlander Sam Balto launched the mighty Alameda Elementary School Bike Bus and every Wednesday hundreds of children ride their bikes to school… A pregnant firefighter in Maryland rescues a woman trapped in a car and then goes into labor… Meet Megan Warfield, who will never forget this birthday…?

OTD - OCTOBER 10

A light day historically speaking. We will strive for more excitement next week.

Notable Historical Moments… Frank Capra’s Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, starring Jimmy Stewart, was released in 1939… The Beatles record “I Want to Hold Your Hand” in 1963 in the EMI Studios.

Famous Marriages… I’m sure the music and DJ were fierce… Johann Sebastian Bach married for the first time to Maria Barbara Bach in 1707.

Famous Breakups… Tough day for TMZ

Famous Deaths… Polish composer Frederic Chopin (1810-49)...?

Famous Birthdays… Death of A Salesman playwright Arthur Miller (1915-2005)... Bombshell Rita Hayworth (1918-87)... The original “Rocketman” notorious stuntman Evel Knievel (1938-2007)... Astronaut Mae Jemison, the first Black woman to orbit the earth turns 66 and noted rapper Eminem hits the half century mark.

Bonus Mae Jemison Quote: “Never limit yourself because of others' limited imagination; never limit others because of your own limited imagination."

Bonus Chopin: Doc Holliday plays Chopin. → WATCH

WHAT I (BINGE) WATCHED

I interviewed for a city government job and I naturally turned to Michael J. Fox for inspiration and started binge watching Spin City. Fox plays NYC deputy mayor Mike Flaherty and assists the always bumbling Randall Winston (Barry Bostwick). Just a tour de force of zaniness. Highly recommended and well worth the rewatch! All episodes of the series are streaming for free on Pluto TV.?

CLIP OF THE WEEK

Enjoy some of the best moments of Spin City. → WATCH

MY GIF TO YOU

Mood… All. Day. → WATCH

QUOTABLE

“Never treat your audience as customers, always as partners.”

Jimmy Stewart - Actor, Veteran

THIS WAY OUT

Thanks for reading the latest edition of my Work In Progress newsletter. My goal is to spread inspiration and hope in a world that needs both more than ever. My goal is to release these newsletters each Monday - because who doesn’t need a shot of good news to start the work week? Look for a new article on my timeline later this week. Special thanks to Kim Kaupe and Terry Rice for encouraging me to launch this into the universe. As always, feedback is welcomed!?