Carpe diem!

The Ted Lasso finale dropped on Wednesday, but our household hasn’t seen it yet. Due to the difficulty of finding times when three adults and one teen are all free, we’ve only made it through the first four episodes of season 3.

While awaiting episodes 5 through 12, I’ve been contemplating the show’s punchy, adrenalizing theme song, as written and performed by Marcus Mumford of the band Mumford and Sons. The chorus goes approximately like this:

Yeahhhhhhhh! This might be all that you get!

Yeahhhhhhhh! I guess this might well be it!

I don’t know exactly what the ol’ Mumford Dad meant by these words, but what I hear is a restatement of an especially familiar cliche: when you wake up in the morning, the only thing you have for sure is the new day just ahead. The obvious implication being that you should make it the best day possible.

Many Internet memes present this idea as an inspiring call to action, and it certainly can be that — if you’re not paralyzed by the formidable challenge of taking an ordinary day, giving it everything you’ve got, and making it special.

Mumford’s delivery, to my ear, captures this duality wonderfully. He sounds terrified but inspired. There’s a kind of exhilaration in his desperation.

I hope to be able to watch the rest of season 3 soon. In the meantime, I’ll try to make the most of today.

Here I go!

Yeahhhhhhhh!