In the Mid—It Comes in Fours
Notes on July 4th, The Bear Szn 4, + Phase 4. Issue #5
There is a Hebrew word: “zakhor.” It means both memory and action. To remember, in this tradition, is not to recall a fact. It is to fulfill an ethical obligation. To make the past present through attention. – Joan Westenberg
Nothing is quite like how a community comes alive on the Fourth of July in Chinatown, San Francisco. The night was equal parts joy and chaos, as I remember it. Mine happened in 2019. People walked blocks to be together and witnessed fireworks exploding like gunshots between high buildings, trees briefly catching fire, and car alarms blaring into the super smoky night sky. Yet, there was laughter. There was awe. There were hella “Oh sh*ts!” and “Holy Moley’s.” There was a peculiar kind of joy involved in the danger, as if the whole city was holding its breath and grinning.
I’d never experienced anything like it—not even during a 49ers' win in 2011 (NFC West Division advancing to the Championship). I conveniently found myself caught in the thrill of it all while shopping for groceries in the City.
They lost the Championship, but this experience was something else. It felt charged and suspended in time.
There was something deeply and unmistakably human in that shared chaos.
No matter where you are, celebration and reflection go hand in hand in moments like these, even if you’re not observing. Take the time to learn more. Talk to each other. Understand the past and make sense for a better future.
Speaking of chaos, The Bear Season 4 just dropped on Hulu, and while it may take me the final season to fully piece together the life of Carmen Berzatto, I’ve realized how much this show has stayed with me since its debut. Season 4, in particular, has a spiritual context for me—like something deeper is at work beneath the dialogue, tension, and pacing. If you didn’t feel it the first time, I'd suggest a rewatch. Everything in The Bear is connected; it’s just a matter of giving us it time. The season’s end opens up incredible possibilities for Carmy and the future of the restaurant—and somehow, that feels like a reflection of the world we’re living in, too.
Love & Haight,
Beyond the Plate
“After writing letters, my texts got more thoughtful… my emails less robotic,” says Brian Rosta. “It reminded me there’s a person on the other end — not an inbox to clear.”
Also, if you’re waiting and want to grab your phone, here are other things to do instead.
& a 17-year-old gem.
Stay safe out there.
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