Over twenty years ago, in the wake of 9/11, I started a blog called Three Good Things in which each post was — you guessed it — a list of three good things. With things as bleak as they are in these early days of 2024, relaunching the project feels like a good idea.
So here we go, this week’s three good things:
1. Oatmeal
I’ve been eating a bowl of oatmeal with fresh fruit every morning for a while now, and it makes me happy. I started with instant oatmeal, but one day I accidentally bought some five minute rolled oats. At first I groused — I didn’t want to spent five minutes making oatmeal in the morning! But the texture and taste was so much better. And the time I spent at the stove making the oatmeal quickly became a relaxing morning ritual. Slowing down, eating better, feeling better. All good.
2. VoteRiders
We’re heading for dangerous waters in 2024, and I’m starting to figure out where I’m going to devote my volunteering time. One organization I already know I’ll support is VoteRiders, which helps people get the I.D. they need to vote. In an age of horrible voter suppression, I’m deeply grateful for the work VoteRiders does. You can check ’em out here: voteriders.org.
3. Carl Orff’s “Gassenhauer”
Carl Orff’s probably best known for his spectacular Carmina Burana. But I’ve been obsessed in recent months by his little percussion masterpiece, “Gassenhauer.” I probably first heard it on the soundtrack of Terrence Malick’s Badlands, and Hans Zimmer riffed on it for the soundtrack of True Romance. I love how simply it begins and how gorgeously it builds. It must be tremendously fun to play live. If I ever learn how to play the xylophone, you’ll know why.
Check it out below and be blown away.
