Our Best Stuff on the Durham Investigation, Migrant Children, and P.J. O’Rourke

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Happy Sunday! Breaking news from the Ohio bureau: Our youngest son qualified for the age-group state championships in swimming Friday night. Wait, you might be thinking. The Dispatch isn’t a parenting blog or a sports publication, and even ESPN mostly only covers swimming during the Olympics and the culture wars. What gives? Bear with me. It’s not about the 33 seconds in the pool; it’s about the two-year journey to the blocks. It’s about perseverance.

Back in the winter of 2020, as a 10-year-old, he qualified for the same meet. Our other kids had come close, but he was the first one to make the cut. We were over the moon, and planned a whole weekend in Columbus around the meet, which was supposed to start March 13. On March 11, we had a pasta party at the last practice, coaches handed out goody bags, and we were set. An hour or two later, Tom Hanks announced he had COVID, the NBA shut down after Rudy Gobert tested positive, and it was all downhill from there. By the next morning, the meet was canceled. (If you remember me sharing this story when it happened, thanks for being a longtime reader!)  

Pretty soon, we were learning to navigate Zoom schooling, ordering takeout, and teaching the kids to play Texas Hold ’Em because we were tired of board games. Our kids filled the rest of the time in those early months with too many hours of video games (at least they could talk to their friends while playing Fortnite), too many dumb YouTube videos, and definitely too many potato chips and frozen pizzas. Swimming usually starts back up in April; we had to wait until June when outdoor pools opened. 

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  1. Avatar photo
    Walt Hilker

    One of the things that makes The Dispatch so important is its humanity. Rachael, your personal weekend stories like this are emblematic of that value. Thank you. And congratulations to your son!

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    John Nerdahl

    To my Blog:
    What the Durham Report Is....And What It Isn't

    By far, the best article I've read so far to understand the objective details and implications of the latest Durham revelations. The right shouldn't get too far in front of its skis on this one as it's too soon to declare a "slam dunk". And the Clinton apologists shouldn't pretend it's much to do about nothing--it's a big deal, whether or not crimes can be proven.

    PS:
    IMO, the Dispatch continues to be one of the more reliable, objective and trusted news sources available. And the good news is that evidently there is a market for such journalism, as it is growing big time.





    PS: And predictably, Trump’s bombast about the revelations being equivalent to the Watergate scandal reminds us of how his BS cancels his strengths.

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  3. Avatar photo
    Michael

    I remember reading about that first cancelled meet! Your weekly summaries are a welcome peek into shared and relateable experiences amid COVID and everything else going on in the world that's covered here. Thank you for making these round-ups an essential Dispatch read.

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  4. Russ

    Rachael: thanks so much for sharing your personal story about Covid and family and swimming and surviving and maybe even thriving now that the dark cloud appears to be lifting.

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  5. Alexis Koukari

    This was so nice to read. I was literally talking about similar feelings at a conference on Friday, and people without kids looked at me like I was crazy. It was great to have these lost years feelings be validated. Congrats on your son’s victory!

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    Luke

    As a former swimmer, I resonate with this! It's a grind at the best of times, and I can imagine how hard it was to keep working in the midst of all the malarkey brought by COVID.

    I get that it's a little dangerous to get too personal here, but I'm glad you did.

    Way to go, Wilson! It's fun to get rewarded for hard work and it's normal to have ups and downs even without something bizarre like COVID. Glad to hear how perseverance paid off!

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  7. Richard Palzer

    Happy to read of Wilson's achievement--and the pride and joy of a return to normalcy as temporary as it may be (hopefully not, of course). No need to hesitate sharing your personal family experience--good for all of us as parents to relate and appreciate.

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    David

    Go Wilson!! Best of luck!!

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    Landscape Artist

    A family saga that strikes "home" with so many of your readers. Congratulations for not just "surviving" but thriving. Way to go Wilson. And as an old storyteller myself, sometimes these personal accounts speak for many.

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    Patrick Brennan

    Yay, Wilson! Yay Mom and Dad!!. And thanks for sharing.

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