Fantasy Reading League

I added another distraction to my life last night: it’s called Fantasy Football and yes, I play. Normally I’m a pass on Fantasy sports anything (I have team loyalty) and I realize that all the information I’ve given you to this point would be very insignificant to the Inherent Bummer audience except for one thing: My league includes Kolohe Andino and Kai Neville. World number two and everyone’s favorite surf filmmaker. They’re in my league, “The Rum Circle: Gridiron Edition.”    

Last night Kai called in with a negroni in hand from New York, where he’s vacationing with his family, to join our draft that took place at 8pm PST, dangerously close to Kolohe’s actual bedtime here on the west coast. Seriously. Brother hates summer because it stays light out so late. He is early to bed and very early to rise. So we got to it early, and at precisely 8:01p.m., with the second pick of the draft, pajamas on, Kolohe grabbed the Carolina Panthers nifty running back Christian McCaffrey while The Byron Bay Bomb Burgers, led by Kai Neville snatched up freak athlete and quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs Patrick Mahomes. I’m the guy in our league stuck with Antonio Bratty Baby Brown.  

Now before I rattle of a bunch of athletes that perhaps mean nothing to you, I’ll make my point: It’s about our attention span. Just when I began to rein in my screen time, I get hit up to join a Fantasy Football league. Another evening gone. Another app on my phone. Another night spent scrolling. Another morning, confronted by an increasingly critical question: How does anyone find the time to read? 

My aspirational reading list for 2019 is extensive. Hell, it’s a fantasy. Full of novels, research, poetry, short stories, re-reads, non-fiction, Paris Reviews, N+1’s, politics, and even some surfing. I hoped to read 50 books this year. But my actual progress for 2019 is 7. I have read 7 books. Do I feel shame? Nah. Should I read more? Yes. I am a reader. I am a writer. But all these distractions — my Surfline app, my Instagram app, my email, my Beachgrit gossip, my Spotify, my freaking fantasy football league are all in the way! Which reminds me, shit, the game just kicked off and Kai has 3 Bears on his team. I’ll give you my reading list for 2019 tomorrow. When I’m not distracted. —Travis Ferré