Taking attendance - 悠遊海闊天空

I flew to London a few weeks later. I was covering Wimbledon, the world's premier tennis competition and one of the few events I go to where the crowd never boos and no one is drunk in the parking lot. England was warm and cloudy, and each morning I walked the tree-lined streets near the tennis court, passing passengers cued up for leftover tickets and vendors selling strawberries and cream. Outside the gate was a newsstand that sold a halfdozen colorful Britist tabloids, featuring photos of topless women, paparazzi pictures of theroyal family, horoscopes, sports, lottery contests, and a wee bit of actual newsTheir top headline of the daywas written on a small chalkboard that leaned against the latest stack of papers and usually read something like Dianna in row with Gharles! or GAZZA TO TEAM: GIVE ME MILLIONS!

People scooped up these tabloids, devoured their gossip, and on previous trips to England, I had always done the same.

In a strange way, I envied the quality of Morrie's time even as I lamented its disminishing supply. Why did we bother with all the distractions we did?

then taped the rest so they could watch more at night

He had created a cocoon of human activities -- conversation, interaction, affection -- and it filled his life like an overflowing soup bowl.

juggling them like a clown

Over the years, I had taken labor as my companion and had moved everything else to the side.

at my little wooden work cubicle

a crush of reporters had tried to chase down

I had gotten knocked over by a British photographer who barely muttered "Sorry" before sweeping past, his huge metal lenses strapped around his neck.

"So many people walk around with a meaningless life. "

The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.

The TV was nothing but fuzz.

I awoke to a jolting piece of news: the unions at my newspaperhad gone on strike.

There were picketers at the front entrance and marchers chanting up and down the street.

pitted against my employers

I had grown used to thinking readers somehow needed my column.

I was stunned at how easily things went on without me.

考勤

幾週後我飛往倫敦。我正在報導溫布爾登，這是世界上最重要的網球比賽，也是我參加的為數不多的人群從不噓聲，也沒有人在停車場喝醉的賽事之一。英格蘭溫暖而多雲，每天早上我都走在網球場附近綠樹成蔭的街道上，路過排隊買剩票的乘客和賣草莓和奶油的小販。門外是一個報攤，售賣六種色彩繽紛的英國小報，上面有裸照女性的照片、王室家族的狗仔隊照片、星座運勢、體育運動、彩票比賽，還有一點點真實新聞。他們當天的頭條新聞寫在一個小黑板上靠在最新的一摞文件上，通常會讀到像戴安娜和加勒斯排成一排的東西！或 GAZZA 到團隊：給我數百萬！

人們翻閱這些小報，吞食他們的八卦，在之前的英國之行中，我總是這樣做。

以一種奇怪的方式，我羨慕莫里的時間質量，即使我為它的供應減少感到遺憾。為什麼我們要為我們所做的所有分心而煩惱？

然後把剩下的錄下來，這樣他們晚上可以看更多

他創造了一個人類活動的繭——談話、互動、感情——它像一個溢出來的湯碗一樣填滿了他的生活。

像小丑一樣玩弄他們

多年來，我以勞動為伴，將其他一切都放在一邊。

在我的小木工隔間裡

一群記者試圖追捕

我被一個英國攝影師撞倒了，他幾乎沒有說“對不起”就掃了過去，他的巨大金屬鏡片綁在他的脖子上。

“這麼多人帶著無意義的生活四處走動。”

讓生活變得有意義的方式是全身心地愛他人，全身心地投入到你周圍的社區中，全身心地投入到創造一些能給你目的和意義的東西上。

電視只是絨毛。