Goodbye 2024

Well, I waited until the last minute to write the last blog in 2024. There seemed to be more than the usual distractions this past month, but I decided there were a few reflections that I wanted to share. Don't worry, I'll keep it short.

2024 provided many good things and several challenging things.

In the good column:

Paula and I survived 3 hurricanes, avoided arrest, and remained relatively healthy.

I published two more novels in 2024 and started a new writing project of epic proportion. I'm targeting the release in 2025.

We adopted our new dobie, Maxx. He's such a good boy.

I enjoyed lots of good times with friends and family. I made an effort this year to visit some people I hadn't seen in a long time. That was very good.

In the bad column:

I don't really want to list a bunch of "bad" things, so I'll just tell you that there were disappointments in 2024. I believe disappointments tend to accumulate over time and can overshadow all the good things if you don't find a way to shrug them off once in a while.

There are apparently more and more people these days who are not happy with their jobs. Maybe I just happen to run into a disproportionate number of them in my day-to-day life. Is it unrealistic to expect the cashier at the grocery store to be friendly or at least feign congeniality, and perhaps smile if I go to the trouble to say something witty? I frequently get the distinct feeling that some of these employees are put out at having to ring up my purchases and they make no bones about projecting their annoyance. I receive the same I'm-grumpy-and-rather-be-doing-anything-other-than-waiting-on-you attitude at the pool supply store, the gas station, the donut shop, the liquor store, the doctor's office, and many other places. It's, you know - disappointing.

My sister sent me a Omaha Steaks package for Christmas. I never got it. She called the company and they tracked it as far as Odessa, Florida, where somebody apparently took it for themselves. Perhaps it was a temporary holiday employee? It's Christmas and somebody stole a gift meant for a very deserving brother. I think it's disappointing that there are people like this out there living among us.

I tripped and fell four times this past year. Being clumsy by nature, tripping is not unusual for me. Even falling once in a while is not particularly rare, but I normally would catch myself and avoid injury. The four falls this year all resulted in landing on my face, breaking my glasses, and nearly knocking me senseless. Three new pair of glasses, three black eyes, one X-ray, and two MRIs later, my doctor tells me that this sort of thing happens when we get older. This is not something I want to hear. Very disappointing.

I do volunteer work at a place called the RAP House here in New Port Richey. It's a safehouse for kids at risk - runaways, victims of abuse, abandoned, etc. A couple weeks ago, I heard that one of the male staff members was arrested and charged with having sex with a 15 year old girl living at the facility. What the hell? Are you kidding me? It's beyond disappointing.

There have been other disappointments, but I don't want to sound like I'm complaining. I can't help but think, though, if everybody was more like you and me, wouldn't the world be a much better place?