David Brooks

Arden Patriots!

Well, leaving the New York Times is not joyous.

I'm filled with intense gratitude and incensed terror because I have to do something new.

But I had a weird moment where sometimes you run into a great teacher.

And this is going to sound trivial, but it produced tremendous joy for me in the last week.

I played tennis off and on my whole life.

My backhand is okay.

My forehand has been terrible since I was 14.

It's just terrible.

And I had this French guy named Justin give me a lesson.

And he told me exactly how to do it forehand.

And I can't tell you how much pleasure it now gives me to walk on the court knowing I don't have to run around my forehand forever.

And just getting competent at something or semi-competent at something.

I think we all have the desire to get semi-competent at something.

And for some kids, you watch them skate down a stairway and they're falling, falling, falling until they can pull the trick.

And now I'm semi-competent in having a forehand.

I don't know why that gives me such pleasure, but it does.

Thank you.

David, welcome.

I think we were actually colleagues at the Wall Street Journal first before the Weekly Standard back in the 80s or 90s.