2026-04-16, 08:15 AM - Word count:
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
In the world of the Soccer Simulation League, everything is measured in numbers. They track my stats and even the miles I run each match. But as we traveled back from our 0-2 victory against Istanbul, I found myself thinking about a different kind of measurement: time. I have spent the last week reading Slaughterhouse-Five. Kurt Vonnegut tells the story of Billy Pilgrim, a man who has become "unstuck in time." He lives his live out of sequence. One moment a prisoner of war, the next a legend in Enschede, the next a rookie in Accra. As I sit here, a reborn version of a man who already lived his career years ago, I find a profound, quiet comfort in Billy’s journey.
The core of the book is the phrase: "So it goes." Vonnegut uses it as a mantra whenever death or tragedy occurs. It is a lesson in acceptance and stoicism that resonated deeply within me. In our last match, I had a 1.0 xG. I put myself in the right spots, beat the offside trap, but I could not get the ball in the net. So it goes. My father left for America and I never saw him again. So it goes. My family was ruined by the weight of a legend. So it goes. We are currently 2nd in the league, but I am still searching for my first goal. So it goes.
The writing style is deceptively simple, but it's exactly that repetition that emphasizes the point Vonnegut is trying to make. He is sharing an experience of how to survive things we can not control. For any player struggling with the pressure of the grind or the frustration of a missed chance, I recommend this book wholeheartedly. Sometimes, the best thing you can do is just keep running.
Rating: 5/5 Next Week: TBD
In the world of the Soccer Simulation League, everything is measured in numbers. They track my stats and even the miles I run each match. But as we traveled back from our 0-2 victory against Istanbul, I found myself thinking about a different kind of measurement: time. I have spent the last week reading Slaughterhouse-Five. Kurt Vonnegut tells the story of Billy Pilgrim, a man who has become "unstuck in time." He lives his live out of sequence. One moment a prisoner of war, the next a legend in Enschede, the next a rookie in Accra. As I sit here, a reborn version of a man who already lived his career years ago, I find a profound, quiet comfort in Billy’s journey.
The core of the book is the phrase: "So it goes." Vonnegut uses it as a mantra whenever death or tragedy occurs. It is a lesson in acceptance and stoicism that resonated deeply within me. In our last match, I had a 1.0 xG. I put myself in the right spots, beat the offside trap, but I could not get the ball in the net. So it goes. My father left for America and I never saw him again. So it goes. My family was ruined by the weight of a legend. So it goes. We are currently 2nd in the league, but I am still searching for my first goal. So it goes.
The writing style is deceptively simple, but it's exactly that repetition that emphasizes the point Vonnegut is trying to make. He is sharing an experience of how to survive things we can not control. For any player struggling with the pressure of the grind or the frustration of a missed chance, I recommend this book wholeheartedly. Sometimes, the best thing you can do is just keep running.
Rating: 5/5 Next Week: TBD
