Typically, during the season, there are so many things that happen that make great topics to write about. Now, having some time off from the sport, I can talk about some other hobbies of mine, like reading books. Ever since I can remember, I have had the ability to get so engrossed in books that they become my whole world. There is just something about a good book, a great author, and a compelling story that makes me tear through pages.
My friend and former Monterey Bay teammate, Sami Guediri, is the person I always talked about books with. We both read Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir at roughly the same time this past season. It’s about a scientist (Ryland Grace) in space who wakes up with amnesia on a desperate mission to save Earth. It might seem like a pretty doomy and daunting topic, but it was actually filled with humor and great laughs. I loved being able to discuss the book with Sami and pick his brain on what he thought about it. They also have a movie based off of the book coming out in 2026 starring Ryan Gosling. To be honest, I think he is going to fit the role of Dr. Grace perfectly. Also, there was another instance on a plane ride to Lexington earlier last season when Sami saw that I was rereading the Ender’s Shadow series, and we were able to bond over that since those books were staples in our childhoods.
I have been really fortunate to be around very intelligent people throughout my life, and this past year in Monterey was no exception. My roommate, Ilijah Paul, talked with me a lot about this book called Endurance, which details a crew’s 17-month struggle to survive the harsh Antarctic environment in 1914. In our apartment, we would also discuss books like The Art of War, Meditations, and other topics like the harsh realities of professional football and the importance of being a consistent person. What I appreciated about Ilijah was that he always read to gain perspective on what this world can hold for us all.
I would also find myself talking about philosophical topics like Daoism, determinism, and more with Sami, Ilijah, Ethan, and Nico. Determinism is the idea that all human actions are essentially determined by causes external to our will. In other words, our actions are preordained. Daoism is a Chinese philosophical tradition of “non-action” or “letting go.” This is really about not forcing things or acting against the natural order of life. This is an idea that I really relate to, especially as someone who has big dreams and ambitions. It can be so easy to get consumed with my goals and try to force things at the wrong time, rather than just letting the universe work things out. I think a lot of footballers and athletes feel this way, which is why this topic tended to come up in conversation with the boys.
In the past couple of weeks, I have finished the first three books of the Red Rising series. It is a Sci-fi series about a color coded caste system in a futuristic society on Mars. The main character, Darrow, is of the lowest color (red) in society and he is transformed to look like a Gold (the top class) to ignite the revolution from within. Sami highly recommended this series to me and his excitement caused me to impatiently finish the other books I was reading at the time. He spoke so highly of the series that I knew it was going to be exceptional, but all of those expectations were easily surpassed. It’s crazy! I already believed this series was going to be life changing, but I have been so surprised at how good it is—make that make sense.
I am also reading a book called Thank You For Arguing which is meant to provide insight on improving communication skills, winning arguments, and better understanding persuasive strategies. It is a super interesting read so far and I am excited to get further along with it here pretty soon. If you guys have any book recommendations let me know!
I hope you guys enjoyed reading something a little different for this edition of the newsletter. I had a great time writing about this stuff. On another note, I can’t believe that it is almost Christmas already! It seems like it was yesterday that I started this newsletter in the summer. Time really flies but I am fortunate that I’ve been able to spend it with people that I love. Have a happy holiday everyone!!
