December

12.1.20

Dear friends,

January is the customary month of beginnings, the time when we tear the scribbled old page from our annual calendar and expose a blank expanse with a sigh of relief and a sense of hope. In this annus horribilis, however, it is December (January’s subdued older sibling) that promises a gust of bracing fresh air. A new presidency waiting in the wings, a vaccine moving through final trials…it feels as if we’ve all been struck by what a wise man once called the audacity of hope — an optimism that defies reason, and challenges fate and history to simultaneous arm-wrestling matches. Few acknowledge this openly, and that makes sense, because even in our hyper-industrialized civilization, we carry a simple superstition from the old world: hope is inauspicious, and expectations are disappointments waiting to happen. But we’ll dare to say it: there’s a sliver of light on the dark horizon, and we’re here to welcome it.

Perhaps we’re feeling energized because we’ve recently welcomed three wonderful new friends and colleagues to the Athletics team: Katherine Lee (Executive Strategy Director), Ana Realmuto (Senior Designer), and Kelly Wang (Design Intern). In this month’s Miscellaneous, Katherine, Ana, and Kelly have pulled together the cultural items that are inspiring them this month. Welcome to the team!

From all of us at Athletics, stay well, stay smart, stay strong!

Stay tuned for more editions of Miscellaneous in the coming months.

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