I needed to move a sofa.
I mentioned this to an American. He said, "You know anybody with a truck?"
I did not know anybody with a truck.
He looked at me with real concern. Not pity. Concern. The way you look at a man who has told you he does not have a name.
"You gotta know somebody with a truck."
I asked how one acquires such a person.
He said, "You just do."
This is the third time I have received that answer in this country. It is the answer to everything here. You just do. There is no process. There is only the eventual fact of having.
He said, "Ask Kevin."
I do not know a Kevin. He said Kevin like I should. He said it the way you say a shared uncle.
I met Kevin four days later. Kevin owns a truck. Kevin does not own a truck for himself. Nobody owns a truck for themselves. Kevin owns a truck for a fifteen mile radius.
Inside I said: THIS MAN HAS TAKEN A VOW. HE DID NOT ANNOUNCE IT. HE SIMPLY PURCHASED A BED AND ACCEPTED THE CONSEQUENCES.
Kevin arrived on Saturday. He brought the truck. He also brought a second man.
I had not asked for a second man.
The second man's name is Tony. Tony came because Kevin came. Tony did not know me. Tony did not ask what we were moving. Tony brought gloves.
They moved the sofa in eleven minutes.
I offered them money. Both of them laughed at the same time, which felt rehearsed and was not.
I asked what I owed them.
Kevin said, "Buy the pizza."
That is the price. That is the entire economy. The truck costs one pizza and the pizza is not negotiable and the pizza is also not expensive and everyone knows what size.
Inside I said: THE FEE IS FIXED ACROSS THE ENTIRE NATION AND WAS SET BY NO ONE.
We ate on the floor because the sofa was against the wall and none of us wanted to be the first to sit on it.
Tony told me his daughter plays soccer. I asked if she is good. He said, "She's aggressive."
I still think about that.
Three weeks later, Kevin texted me.
"You free Sunday? Helping Tony move a fridge."
He did not ask if I wanted to. He informed me of a fridge.
Inside I said: I HAVE BEEN CALLED UP. I DID NOT ENLIST. THE PAPERS WERE FILED ON MY BEHALF.
I went. I moved the fridge. I have no truck. I contributed only arms.
Afterward, a man I had never met asked me if I knew anybody with a truck.
I said, "Yeah, I got a guy."
I have a guy.
I am somebody's guy now, too. Tony has told two people about me.
He describes me as "the guy who's strong for his size."
I have never been prouder of a sentence in my life.
Please watch this speech in full. We’ve never had a Secretary of State truly understand—much less act on—this crisis of left-wing violent extremism until now. Thank you, @SecRubio!
This speech by @marcorubio mostly flew under the radar, which is really unfortunate.
Take the time to listen. This is Churchillian, this is Reaganesque. Our future is bright, America! #48?
Stephen A. Smith erupts with the American spirit as he fires off this blistering message to the socialist wing of the Democrat Party:
"This ain't Denmark. This ain't Finland. This ain't Sweden. This is the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!"
"You roll over to these borders with the vision and the fantasy and the passion that, 'Yo, here I can achieve anything.'"
"That's what this is about in America!"
"We don't talk about that enough when it comes to the socialists because they're convincing folks that rather than individuals being a problem, rather than lobbyists being a problem, they're trying to convince you America's a problem..."
"...While their asses are over here profiting from the American system."
Thank you #norway 🇳🇴 you rowed 🚣 your way into our hearts. You showed us what was possible. You made us yearn for a kinder America. Thank you for sharing your joy and sportsmanship. You have inspired a whole new generation of young athletes. America loves you. ❤️
“no te podes poner triste con la eliminación del mundial de una selección que no es la tuya”
yo con la eliminación de noruega por que no vamos a ver más el remo vikingo
Choose Norway.
Choose Haaland.
Choose Ødegaard.
Choose Viking spirit.
Choose salmon.
Choose fjords.
Choose the northern lights.
Choose red, white and blue.
Choose anyone but England.
Choose staying up until full time.
Choose celebrating every Norwegian goal like Scotland scored it.
Choose suddenly knowing all the words to “Ja, vi elsker”.
Choose pretending you’ve always rated Norway.
Choose calling Oslo your second home.
Choose believing.
Choose the quarter-finals.
Choose the upset.
Choose chaos.
Choose banter.
Tomorrow, you can go back to being Scottish.
But tonight…
Choose Norway. 🇳🇴🏴
You guys have no idea how insane it sounds to us Norwegians when you say you’re rooting for us and hoping we’ll win the World Cup! There are fewer people in the whole of Norway than there are in London alone, and every single one of us couldn’t be prouder. Not just because of Haaland, but because of the entire team. They’re a team in every sense of the word! 💪🏻🇳🇴