Four years ago, the funk settled in because there was really only one thing to write about every day: how Donald Trump had messed the world up in some unique way and how Republicans were just fine with it.... The constant lies, the hypocrisy, the unabashed arrogance and proud ignorance. It's infuriating and, honestly, writing about it constantly is as much a drag as reading about it. .

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By Bob Gaydos

It's time to borrow from the book of Curry. Stephen Curry, that is.

Back in 2017, when I was in a bit of a writing funk, I came across an interview with Curry, who is regarded by most basketball fans as one of the best, if not the best, pure shooter in the National Basketball Association. Swish is his MO.

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As synchronicity would have it, Curry at the time was going through a rare shooting slump. He was hearing a lot more clang than swish. The interviewer asked him what he did about that. How do you get out of a shooting slump?

"You shoot your way out of it," Curry said. "You obviously get more reps in between games, try to get that muscle memory back and the vision of the ball going in. You never lose confidence that's first and foremost. But there's nothing really different to my approach. You've got to grind your way through it."

So this is me shooting my way out of a writing slump. Working on that muscle memory and grinding my way back into the groove.

Four years ago, the funk settled in because there was really only one thing to write about every day: how Donald Trump had messed the world up in some unique way and how Republicans were just fine with it. Only the details changed; the arrogance and ignorance were ever-present. There are only so many ways to say that. Actually, I just said it.

Now, Trump is thankfully gone from the White House, but his legacy and his minions linger on. The story today, the only story told in different ways, is President Biden trying to remedy the damage Trump caused while Republican politicians fall all over each other trying to emulate Trump.

The constant lies, the hypocrisy, the unabashed arrogance and proud ignorance. It's infuriating and, honestly, writing about it constantly is as much a drag as reading about it.

Take Kevin McCarthy (please, as Henny Youngman would say). Having him as their leader in the House of Representatives should embarrass every Republican. He criticizes Biden's infrastructure plan, yet takes credit for the good stuff in his home state of California. He blames Biden for Covid lingering and spreading, while Republican governors continue to ignore the science and defy calls for vaccines and masks.

He does it with a straight face, knowing it's baloney, because this is how the Trump Republican Party is supposed to operate.

I don't know how many times that has to be said, but I think I just took a shot and scored and I feel better. Guess some of that muscle memory came back. A few more reps at the keyboard and I think I'll be back on my game.

Thanks, Steph.

(For those younger than 50, Henny Youngman was a popular comedian, I once ran into in an art gallery in Woodstock. More synchronicity.)

rjgaydos@gmail.com

Authors Website: https://www.blogger.com/home

Authors Bio:

Bob Gaydos is a veteran of 40-plus years in daily newspapers. He began as police reporter with The (Binghamton, N.Y.) Sun-Bulletin, eventually covering government and politics as well as serving as city editor, features editor, sports editor and executive editor. He was also managing editor of the Evening Capital in Annapolis, Md. He retired from daily newspapering in 2007 after 29 years with the Times Herald-Record in Middletown, N.Y., where he was Sunday/features editor and, for 23 years, editorial page editor. He won numerous awards for his editorials from the New York Newspaper Publishers Association and The Associated Press and in 1992 was a finalist for The Pulitzer Prize for editorial writing. Gaydos continues to write on a freelance basis, including a column on addiction.