Let’s leave 2024 behind on a proper note:
25 years ago tonight…never forget
— Jay Lee (@jaylee.bsky.social) December 31, 2024 at 1:37 PM
I remember 12/31/99 quite well. While I never feared Y2K, I do recall thinking at some point in the day that it was already the year 2000 in Australia, and there was no evidence of computer chaos, so let’s just relax and enjoy the New Year celebration.
My sense of trepidation is much higher for this year, and I would never tell anyone they should relax, but I will gently suggest that we do make a point of finding joy and happiness and fulfillment this year, as we normally would do. Life is short. I’m still a year away from turning 60 and yet I’ve lost count of the number of people in my graduating classes who have left us. One member of my core college friend group died in February of 2020. We gathered in San Antonio to mourn and celebrate her life, and very shortly thereafter realized how lucky we were to have been able to do that. My wife and I will be empty nesters by the end of this summer – you better believe I’m going to enjoy the time I still have with Daughter #2. I still have my parents. I refuse to lose sight of these things.
I have no idea what is coming this year. Lots of bad things are queued up, but reality has a way of surprising and confounding us sometimes. The future isn’t known until it happens, and until then there’s often ways to affect it, even just a little. This list of predictions contains a few that I’d love to see happen, a few I’d absolutely prefer to avoid, and a few I’m not sure how to evaluate. Let’s try to approach this year prepared for some of the worst to happen, but also for some of the good. We can do this. Happy New Year, and thank you as always for hanging out here.
2025 is already off to a horrid start. Condolences to NOLA.