It’s the beginning of a new year, so I figure it would be a good time for a reflective post. I could write about the pandemic or the political tension that seems to be ubiquitous these days, but I’d rather talk about something more fun and uplifting.
I also needed a catchy title using alliteration that I can reuse next year. Maybe “Mitchum’s Morbid Meditations” would be pretty accurate for 2020, but it didn’t seem like the sort of thing any of you would want to read.
In this post I just want to share some content I read, watched, or listened to last year that brought value to my life in some way. Maybe one of these will bring some to yours too.
The Queen’s Gambit
My wife and I really enjoyed watching this Netflix show together.
We both like playing chess. I win more often when we play long games, and she wins more often when we play shorter, blitz-style games. She’s very good at going with her gut and making solid moves, and I’m very bad about clumsily knocking over pieces when trying to move quickly.
We both enjoyed the show a lot and it got us playing more chess together, so it was a double win. It also inspired me to start educating myself more about the game.
The Simple Path To Wealth
Until recently, I was pretty ignorant about the stock market. This stock series by JL Collins helped changed that.
It taught me about how the market works and the advantages of investing in broad-based index funds over a long period of time. I can’t recommend it enough if you want to plan for your retirement and are confused about where to start. His sound advice cuts through all the noise and will deliver on the promise of the title of his blog if you hold the course.
Indie Hackers Podcast
Sometimes I daydream about creating my own profitable software product that I can share with others. So I really enjoyed listening to this podcast over the past year.
It’s basically a series of interviews with people who have started successful online businesses with very small amounts of funding and personnel. The tools for creating software products have improved tremendously in recent years, and have really broadened the possibilities for entrepreneurship.
Hearing these kinds of success stories inspire me to work on small projects of my own. Even if they don’t lead anywhere, I usually learn something new and enjoy the journey.
Christmas in the Trenches
I heard this John McCutcheon song for the first time this year and was really moved by it, especially once I learned about the history behind it.
It’s based on an event that actually happened on Christmas during World War I. Soldiers from opposing armies actually left the trenches, sang Christmas songs, and celebrated together before going back to war.
The message of the song is one of peace, and how “on each end of the rifle we’re the same”. I think the message really hit home with me this year as the political polarization has continued to rise in the country. Here’s a version of it by a guy I like to hear perform and preach.
The Mandalorian
I’m a big fan of both Star Wars and spaghetti westerns, so I’ve really enjoyed watching The Mandalorian series. I’m also really thankful I can mooch off my family’s Disney+ account.
I was less than thrilled with the new movie trilogy, but I think The Mandalorian has steered the franchise back in the right direction. Season two was a solid story that integrated fan favorite characters very well. I’m excited to see what the future holds for the franchise.
Honorable Mentions
Tiger King. The memes were great.