January 1 Day 664: In the New Year, I Can Do Better.

Happy New Year. May 2022 bring health and happiness to all–or at least a little less stress and turmoil.

I’ve been working to prepare my winter classes (the first meeting is in 3 days!) I think I have the course site completed with dates, assignments, and readings–at least for the first two weeks. I am revamping my group project for TMATH 308, using Tim Chartier’s Life is Linear as the jumping off point. I hope in this way, to start projects that might be extended to capstone explorations for students that choose to be mathematics majors.

But what I really want to share with you is the President’s Messages that appears in the December/January MAA Focus (and is the cover image of this post.) It is an essay structured around the chorus of the Warren Zevon song, Don’t Let Us Get Sick, and shows that everyone makes mistakes, even me. As I say in the essay, this is an anthem for our times. I’ll share the chorus with you here–perhaps it will inspire you to read the full essay:

Don't let us get sick
Don't let us get old
Don't let us get stupid, alright
Just make us be brave
And make us play nice
And let us be together tonight

Listen to Warren Zevon’s soulful version or Jill Sobule’s sweet version. They both bring tears to my eyes.

I admit to stupidity. I am actively working to be better—to be braver. I always try to be nice. And please, please, please, let this damnable virus get over itself so we can return to a more normal way of life and be together with others, tonight or any other might we choose.