Le Weekly #17 – Parked Car 🚗

One quote, one word, one shoutout, one story, one neigh from Philosophical Horse and one question.

Mike Wright

Mar 04, 2024

Greetings everyone. Happy Monday!

Take a moment to reflect on each snippet. Comment your thoughts below.

Le Quote 🗣

“Rich, poor, we all die.” – Winston (from the butchery).

Le Word 💬

enough (pronoun). as much or as many of something as required.

Le Shoutout 🧣

The first time I held a microphone at a legitimate event was alongside Nienke Osborne at the 2019 Varsity Hockey final.

Nienke was the perfect person to lead me into the new realm. She took charge, injecting gees around the arena with an expert flair while I shook nervously next to her, slowly plucking up the courage to tell the crowd about the food truck next to the field.

Nienke was calm yet energetic behind the mic. She said what was needed – nothing more, nothing less. She was great. She is still great.

After watching her up close, a concept called the “MC Effect” formed in my head.

The “MC Effect” notes that a quiet MC never disturbs a crowd, nor does a perfect MC; however, an MC that is too loud or speaks too much can negatively affect a crowd’s experience of an event.

The “MC Effect” reassures me whenever I feel like I am being too quiet behind a mic. At the same time, the “MC Effect” always pops into my head when I think I might be saying too much.

I’ve also realised that the “MC Effect” applies to everything in life, too, not just speaking at events.

If you ever find yourself in front of a metaphorical crowd with a metaphorical microphone in your hand, remember: You can be quiet. You can say enough. You can be perfect. However, regaining the crowd’s trust will be hard if you ever say too much.

I was taught this lesson early by Ms Osborne. Shoutout Nienke.

Le Story ✍️

Written during Winter 2023

As I sat in my car, listening to Darren Whackhead Simpson, I looked into the darkness outside. There was one sip of coffee left in my cup. I needed to make the last sip count because I had inhaled the rest of the cup absentmindedly, not acknowledging or enjoying it.

“A big musician is coming to South Africa,” Darren said over the radio.

Now, I was intrigued. My final sip had to last until he made the announcement.

I took note of where I was. I was sitting in my car in pitch darkness with a cup of coffee in my hand while one of my favourite radio hosts did what he was good at. A parked car is one of my favourite places in the world, so waiting for him to announce the announcement didn’t bother me.

Wackhead held the suspense.

“I’ll announce who the artist is after this song!”

“All good,” I said to myself.

Ed Sheeran’s voice started blaring from the speakers. The lyrics expressed how feeling broken and surrounded by difficulties creates an environment for a person to rise like a phoenix. It was emotional.

I started crying a little bit.

Bear in mind, it was just after 06h00 on a Tuesday morning.

Finally, once Ed Sheeran concluded his message, Wackhead’s voice returned. Which artist was he about to announce? Justin Bieber? Beyonce? Taylor Swift?

No.

“It’s Dave Matthews!” Wackhead said.

I sipped the last sip of my coffee, opened my door and stepped outside.

It was 9ºC.

Within seconds of being outside, I felt better. My mind cleared. My posture improved and confidence rushed through my body from seemingly nowhere.

I thanked the cold air for being so refreshing.

Le Neigh from Philosophical Horse 🐴

“Neigh” – Philosophical Horse.

Le Question 🤔

Who has taught you a small yet valuable lesson in life by simply being good at what they were doing, and what was it?

Have a great Monday, everyone!

Previous Newsletters:

(Remember to send this to someone who you think would enjoy Le Weekly)

#16 – Russ Bus 🚌
#15 – Being New ✨
#14 – Coffee Coffee ☕️
#13 – Leopard Picture 🐆
#12 – Clare’s Exhalations 🌸
#11 – Boiled Potatoes 🥔
#10 – Back Shampoo 🧼
#09 – Muscular Swallows 🐦
#08 – Long Wood 🪵
#07 – Impactful Leaf 🍃
#06 – Vulnerable Ankles 🦵
#05 – Sea Sea TV 📸
#04 – Treadmill Queue 💦
#03 – Lemonade 🍋
#02 – Meat Factory 🥩
#01 – Woolworths Maternitywear 👚