How do we honor making room for others?
This year, two of the three movies I’ve gone to see in theaters made a strong impression on me: Project Hail Mary and, more recently, The Odyssey, as envisioned by Christopher Nolan. (The disappointing exception was Supergirl.)
What struck me about both movies was the role of hospitality: what obligation, responsibility, and opportunity do we have toward the strangers, visitors, and guests around us?
8-player split screen sounds like chaos
One of my wife’s favorite video games is Mario Kart, specifically Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. At least in our circles, she is consistently the best at it. The game originally came out on the Wii U in 2014, but we were introduced to it through the Nintendo Switch version, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, which came out a few years later.
Not long ago, we got a Switch 2, Nintendo’s successor to the Switch. One of the nice things about the increased power of the system is that Nintendo has released updates for a number of older Switch games, bringing improved performance, visuals, and sometimes new features. The latest game to receive one, at the start of September 2026, is none other than Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
It’s not fun, but grateful to be cared for
Last week, I was diagnosed with chickenpox. It was a bit baffling, as I wasn’t sure who I would have contracted it from. I’ve never had it before. When we first went to an urgent care center to have my condition looked at, even the medical staff onsite were surprised, given how rare it has become for people to contract the disease.
It had been an uncomfortable experience dealing with the sickness, but I have been grateful to have the time and medicine needed to be able to recover from it. I’m also grateful for the support I’ve received from family, friends, and most importantly my wife who cared well for me and ensured I was taking my medications on time, monitoring my condition, and offering remedies that would help manage the discomfort.
The original book is meaningfully better
Last month, I got to see the new Supergirl movie that came out in theaters. I came away a bit disappointed, mostly because I think it pales by comparison to the original 2021 story it adapts, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow by Tom King, which I love.
The original has so much literary and artistic richness, emotional depth, and a comfort with vulnerability, exploring a life shaped by grief that King is an expert at. Perhaps, a spectacle-centered movie running under two hours was probably never going to accomplish all of that. My feelings on the move reminded me that what I go to comics for is often quite different from what many people go to the theaters for.
Artist: Bilquis Evely
Change is hard, but being adaptable is valuable
Today, I was surprised and honored to receive the inaugural ‘Shoelace Award’ at our annual workshop for business professionals in the college where I work. The award is inspired by the book ‘Who Moved My Cheese?’ – a favorite of our Head of Finance.
Just like with Sniff and Scurry, the spirit of the award is having shoes within reach, ready to tie up and get going: to adapt, learn, and move forward when change comes.
