Whatever

Did you know robots in China are learning Kung Fu?

What was JD Vance doing with his face? Does Nancy Pelosi know we have a hockey team? Did you know robots in China are learning Kung Fu?

I’m really bothered by the stuff I pay attention to every day.

And that’s not even adding the hours of sports news I’ll need as a distraction to get the kung fu robots out of my mind: Is collagen Lebron James’s secret? Did you know Travis Kelce unfollowed Ryan Reynolds on Instagram?¹ What is Aaron Judge doing with his face?

I don’t think it’s going to get any better in the future — AI slop is coming; AI slop is here.

But isn’t that just replacing whatever muck was already on our social feeds before? If it wasn’t something to make me hate [this political party and their dogs], it’s an advertisement convincing me a fire extinguisher is useless and I need a fire blanket which will smother the flames (I bought two).

I feel disgusting/angry/afraid/despondent/sad someone hates the Democrats’ dogs/hopeless/giggly at a fart joke/overwhelmed when I take a look into the digital world.

I need more whatever.

Whatever is a walk in the woods up at Norris Dam State Park. My wife, my daughter, my son, and my sister-in-law are on the playground working off the barbecue sandwiches we ate at a picnic table while listening to the cicadas.

I steal off for a moment surrounded by dozens of trees. I don’t know their Christian names, but there are oaks, maples, birches, and a family of conifers.

I’m looking for a spot where I’m surrounded by forest on all sides like I’m hiding in a pillow fort made by God just for me and him.

Whatever is a baseball game.

Thank God, there’s a baseball game. I’ve had a heck of a day and my daughter has too. So I offer to take her for a walk so my wife can put my son down for bed and then get some time for herself. We walk through the little cut from our neighborhood to the high school and hear a mitt pop.

The lights are on and the home team is up 5 in the 7th. The visitors have seen enough and switch to a righty who can’t place his fastball. My daughter is shouting “Go, go, go!” every time the pitcher starts his windup.

I watch the last pink leave the horizon behind the purple/blue light banks shining onto this field. I feel the promise of summer and a game that refuses to let my boyhood die.

Whatever is learning“You’ve Got a Friend in Me” on the guitar; it’s breaking my no-sugar resolution for one of my wife’s cookies; it’s The Great British Bake Off with her; and it’s Saturday morning breakfast with Drew saying mean things about Kentucky’s basketball team.

When I think on these things, the other stuff fades out like I’m turning the knob on my car stereo. It doesn’t fix much of anything except the chamber in my chest.

I can’t solve the problems of the world. At this point, I shrug and offer “Whatever.”

Because:

“Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” - Philippians 4:8

I hope you find a lot of whatever (and don’t find any robots who know Kung Fu).

1. This is a real news story. Yes, I read more about it.