The Squishy Stuff

If you have yet to see Season 1, Episode 15 of the new Matlock television series, maybe save this article for a later time. This is a lot of words to say, “Warning. Spoiler Alert!”

***

Attorney Matty Matlock (Kathy Bates) is working undercover to find out which of the law firm’s partners destroyed evidence in a litigated opioid trial against a drug manufacturer. Matty believes that (1) the acquittal in this case resulted from the destruction of this evidence and (2) the acquittal was the reason that her daughter overdosed on this medication. 

A secret whistleblower is in the shadows. 

Matty was given a ‘hint’ and now one of three possible culprits has been eliminated. A timeline confirmation will help figure out the true criminal, but “Read’EmAndWeep31’ is reluctant to provide the required information. 

As this relationship slowly develops, Matty posts a note to Read’EmAndWeep31.

“Hi again,” Matty types.

“First, I want you to know that your actions mattered. Your post on that Reddit board changed my life. And I know why you did it. Why you screamed into the void. You posted because you knew right from wrong, and you stand for what's right. The truth. The rules. The hard shell of justice. But that's not why you're going to come out of hiding. You'll come out of hiding because of what's underneath. The squishy stuff. You'll come out of hiding because you care.”

“You'll come out of hiding for the children who lost their parents. For the parents who can't smile without them. Who can't laugh. Who are finding it hard to do anything.”

Matty finishes: 

“You can't know what they're going through, but you care. And that's why you'll come forward.”

Matty believes she knows the identity of this whistleblowing suspect. She’s arguing her case (a pun just made sense, here) in a way that shows the values (Matty believes) that this informant holds. Matty carefully chooses words that will be instantly recognized by Read’EmAndWeep31. 

If Matty is right, this secretive individual is a fan of Barry Manilow. You might have recognized the not-so-subtle references in her text message. 

“You know I can't smile without you
I can't smile without you
I can't laugh, and I can't sing
I'm findin' it hard to do anything.”   Barry Manilow, “Can’t Smile Without You” 

Of course, Matty was right. How could a television script be written in any other way?

Now that the secret is exposed, the takeaways start with what I believe would be typical reactions to the television series.

1. Most of us are rooting for Team Matty. We want the culprits caught and punished for violating courtroom trust in this past win-at-any-cost fraud that exonerated a guilty company’s liability. 
2. We cheer for Underdog Matty as she tries to overturn this miscarriage of justice. She has chosen a Goliath-size fight. This 14-year-old case will be defended by a powerful law firm that will employ every possible tactic and loophole (legal or not) to clear the names of their client and the firm itself. And they will, without a doubt, throw copious piles of money at their cause.
3. We can feel in our hearts the devastation created when a parent loses a child. Society often proclaims, “This is wrong. No parent should ever have to bury their child!”
4. We know that Matty is pursuing a worthy endeavor. We are excited that she’s found an ally in this whistleblower. We yearn for the day the truth will be revealed in a court of law. We dream of a unanimous justice-well-served decision.
5. It’s quite possible we’ll feel very emotional when justice prevails in this future courtroom drama.

That stage is now set. But what is it that compels us to become emotionally invested in a whistleblower’s decision to come forward and aid this righteous cause?

Let’s examine ourselves a bit. Have you ever seen videos like the ones mentioned here? 

Videos

• Displaying the kindness of one stranger toward another.
• Showing the moment a person hears for the very first time.
• Recording a surprised child when a parent comes home from military service.
• Capturing the gift of song. (I know - I keep 'pushing' this one.

These are moments of shared empathy, compassion, and grace. These are moments of human connection – of humanity itself displayed most vividly. You could say that our reactions to videos like these are evidence of our internal squishy stuff. 

These are the times when we reject self-centeredness, self-importance, superiority, pride, and even fear.  These are moments when our center, our soul, leaks and becomes generous, affirming, supporting, and loving to those around us. These are moments when we cheer for the underdog because we know how hard life is and that deep down, we truly want what’s best for others.

These are the times we are most willing to do the right thing, even when the cards are stacked against us. 

• We reject the delay. We act. 
• We don’t take time to complete a pro/con balance sheet. We act. 
• We don’t delay hoping someone else will take up the cross – We do
• We hope that our squishy stuff is the answer to someone’s prayer. 

So then, let’s finish with a quick review. 

Let’s always do the things people cheer for. 

Let’s always do the right thing for the right reasons. 

Let’s always be the Mouthpiece, the Whistleblower; The Person who cares!

Let’s always be squishy and make a difference in the world. 

Illusions Recalled

I woke up earlier than normal. I don’t know what kind of dream had been interrupted. I don’t know why a deep slumbering fog cleared with the voice of Joni Mitchell singing “I really don’t know love, at all.”

But I am awake now. The considerable pull of a morning espresso momentarily overpowered the musician in my head. But within a few metronome beats of the grandfather clock, vision moved from opaque to clear, and the aroma of the steaming latte’ brought a successful merger between Joni and Joe. 

This day had begun.  

The Band Without a Country

“We’re a land that prides itself on being ‘the land of the free and home of the brave.’ I believe that just as much as anyone else does. But for that, we need these different perspectives. We need to see how others think.”

“If we are a society that is suppressing art, we’re a society that is afraid of what it might reveal about itself. If we’re suppressing music, we’re suppressing emotions, we’re suppressing expression, we’re suppressing vulnerability, we’re suppressing the very essence of what makes us human. We are devaluing our own Humanity.”  18-year-old Harvard teenage musician, Rishab Jain

Diversity Equity Inclusion and Me

Giants and a Dot

“Fee-fi-fo-fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman. Be he alive, or be he dead, I’ll grind his bones to make my bread.” 

A considerable number of decades ago, I remember hearing those words at bedtime – because that is when we used to listen to the story of Jack and the Beanstalk. It is a miracle that I ever got a wink of sleep! But the fairy tale has become more than just the giant wishing to make bread out of a child. The adaptations over the years have made Jack into a ‘Robin Hood’ of his time as he steals (gold coins, a hen that lays golden eggs, and a golden harp that talks) from a Leviathan thief to alleviate the poverty of those living at the base of the beanstalk.

Musicians, Poets, and Actors

Around here, it’s ‘that’ time of year. All of the hard work done by those in school bands, choir, and drama is on full display in competitive arenas every weekend. Yes, sometimes long days result - but these days are filled with positive vibes.

I see the dedication. I feel the excitement. I experience the manifestation of hope for a world gone crazy. All of this is soul-soothing for me.

At the same time, I notice the willingness of these performers to take on the ills of society in a direct, emotional, and even confrontational manner. This generation wants to make a difference. Kudos!

I Didn’t Know, a Confession, and a Way Forward

I have been around the block a few times and I spent much of my life thinking, “Things are getting better. People are getting better.” But I didn’t know.

I Didn't Know

Maritime Law

Spencer Dutton. "I am in your debt." 
Ship's Captain. "You're in no such thing. I think perhaps the sea is the last place where men do the right thing for that reason alone." 
Spencer Dutton. "Maybe the whole world should be put to sea.
Ship's Captain. "The whole world would drown."
        The Rule of 500, The Television Series, 1923

Running Late

We were cutting it close, too close. But we made the stop anyway. I could say that the car needed gas. But the truth is, we needed gas – coffee!

So, we found an unknown. It was the only shop Google found for us. We even needed to backtrack a little bit. 

NO! It would not be open for another 6 minutes. But an eagle-eyed passenger noted that others were walking by our parking spot and entering, (what’s this?), another coffee shop! 

Hope From Those in School

In the first January article, I noted that my 2025 word-of-the-year challenge is to be a warmer person. 

I knew that would be a difficult goal but that’s the point of this annual exercise – to improve in areas where one needs improvement.

But today, I’m not feeling warm. All I can think about is the windchill of minus 30 degrees. I’ll take a break from that warm person thing since there’s less chance than a cold day in hell that I’ll see anybody today. I’m off the hook while shivering in place. Sounds fair.

I will take this time to wrap up in a blanket and read a book. Before picking up the novel, I will spend a little time reinforcing the I-never-want-to-forget memories from yesterday. 

Always Learning

"War may sometimes be a necessary evil. But no matter how necessary, it is always an evil, never a good. We will not learn how to live together in peace by killing each other's children." (Carter’s speech accepting the Democratic presidential nomination in 1976.)

Given the circumstances of this past week, many Jimmy Carter quotes have been published. When reading this one, I thought of the Sermon on the Mount. I imagined Jesus responding, “But I say to you, until you love and care for every child, there can be no peace in the world nor your heart.”

A Warm Challenge

I fear I have “bitten off more than I can chew”. That common metaphor has never been truer than today.

You might be aware that ‘it’s that time of year’, I recently waged a small internal battle to determine my 2025 Word of the Year. I won’t know about the results of this ‘war’ until “it’s that time of year”, next year. I know - you can hardly wait.

This is the 12th year I have taken part in this annual discipline. Looking over the words and phrases from the past, one might lean toward discouragement – one like me, for instance. You’d think by now, after spending a year with each of these words/phrases, I might be extensively improved. But I think, well OK, I’ll be honest, I know I am not the new and improved version I seek to be.