Doing Things Badly “The things you do badly are as much part of your style as the things you do well.” Martin Scorsese I’ve always heard people say that Bob Dylan can’t sing. He won the Nobel Prize, among countless other accolades. I guess a lot of people like his style. I’ve always thought I couldn’t sing very well. At some point, I decided it didn’t matter as long as I enjoyed it. I learned I sounded OK when I sang something I wrote…I mean, who could sing it better? What have you created that is all you, shows your style, regardless of how it stacks up to some luminary’s work you’ve always wished you could match? What kind of relationships do you have, that show your style together, that don’t seem to live up to the ideal in all the articles by relationship experts? What political views do you have that are a mishmash and lack ideological purity, but are thoughtful reflections on each particular issue and have evolved over time? What sorts of foods or dishes do you make that don’t comply with any particular recipe or traditional cuisine but still have become comfort food and nourish your body and soul? What kind of discomfort do you actually enjoy and find rejuvenating? I like to take cold showers. They’re where I do a lot of singing. [The man on the right is my great-grandfather and namesake, Martin, with his best friend in 1954.]