Within six months, he'd have a heart attack at 24 years old.
I'm standing at the sink washing dishes this morning, and the sunrise is pouring in through the window. The new episode of the Heavyweight podcast is playing in my earbud, and I'm excited because it's a crossover episode with The Moth.
During his story Safe At Home, I'd just heard Muneesh Jain describe the moment his doctor told him he was headed for a heart attack in six months or less. He'd gone from Olympic hopeful to ESPN producer to running his own sports magazine. Eventually, he was completely strung out. He'd just kept pushing himself... drugs and alcohol made things worse.
I scoff-exhaled while staring out the kitchen window, water still running.
Shit.
I'd zoned out, hands idly twisting the sponge, but with no real purpose. Trading health for progress is one of my own biggest fears, so I restarted Muneesh's story and listened intently to every word.
Coffee in hand, I pictured the self-isolation he described: the studio apartment in New York City with windows that wouldn't open. I understood the downward spiral he was recounting. I've lived it, more than once. So when he talked about visiting every baseball stadium in America to watch a game, I found myself thinking about how sparks form. That's such a specific moment—the "fuck this, I'm done" catalyst for change. You know? For a spark like Muneesh's, that thing only catches fire if met with a shitty situation to get out of.
Looking out the window above the sink again, I thought about how rock bottom really is the best trampoline sometimes. If Muneesh can go from his apartment with sealed windows to following a spark and finding something he loves, maybe we can, too.
Our Daily MAP Year Prompt
42/365
If you got a do-over, would you take it? What would you use it to do differently?
onward.
-dmac