Breaking News:
The Sanctuary on Penn, an old church building converted to an event center, is on fire and likely a complete loss. The fire started around 5:30 this morning. No one has been injured (so far), but the building is likely a complete loss. I know I’ve shot there, several others have shot there, and it’s a fairly popular wedding venue. This is a significant loss for the city and our hearts go out to everyone affected.
Breaking News:
The FAA has grounded all American Airlines flights in the US because of a ‘technical glitch.’ The airline requested the grounding after it was discovered that the technical issue was system-wide and could affect every plane in the fleet. This comes on one of the busiest travel days of the year. As of this moment (8:30 AM EST), there is no projection on when service will be restored. This inevitably has a ripple effect for all other US airlines as passengers miss connecting flights and fewer airport gates are available. Our thoughts are with all those flight/gate attendants who have to break the bad news and put up with bad attitudes. [Update: the planes are back in the air as of 8:40 AM EST.]
Christmas Eve is usually a pretty quiet news day. That’s not the case this year. I woke up this morning to the news that France has a new government. Global hunger crisis deepens as major nations skimp on aid. Starbucks strike to expand to over 300 US stores on Christmas Eve, union says. Bill Clinton Is Hospitalized After Developing a Fever. There’s a lot more. There always is. For the majority of the 8 billion people inhabiting this planet, this is not a cheerful day. There’s no Peace, very little Hope, and a stark shortage of Love.
I’m not going to pretend that I have a solution because, between you and me, no such thing exists. The number of people on this rock is unsustainable and has been for quite a while now. To address the issues that come with overpopulation, governments take a more authoritarian stance. Authoritarianism, in all its guises, results in the violation of human rights. For example, an Arkansas law that allowed librarians and booksellers to be sued if they let a minor have the ‘wrong’ book, was rightly overturned yesterday. The attempt to ban books is key to the authoritarian way of governing.
People feel as though the world is out of control, yet they keep electing leaders who are only adding to the chaos. The US, France, Germany, Bangladesh, and Sudan are just a few of the places where new governments are likely to make 2025 more miserable than the year we’re finishing. Funny how we never realize the degree to which we participate in our own destruction.
Here in central Indiana, we don’t even get a White Christmas. WTF is up with that?
Here’s what I know: animals don’t judge you. Well, except for horses. Horses judge you because they are born with the realization that they’re better than humans. Horses judge you harshly. Be glad that Santa Claus isn’t a horse; no one would get presents. Other animals fall into two camps, though. Those that want you to leave them the fuck alone, and those who insist that your lap, your computer, or that book you’re reading, are suitable places for them to curl up and get hugs. The second group is the one you want to embrace today. Hug them. Pet them. Give them treats. That is more likely to give you pleasure than anything else you would do today.
The New York Times is touting a new book that comes out today that encourages us to not worry about the decisions other people make. Obviously, I’ve not read the book. I rather doubt that I will. The premise, though, is interesting. If someone wants to stand out in the rain, let them. If someone wants to do something that seems to make no sense to you, let them. “If you stop trying to manage other people’s opinions, actions and moods, then your well-being and relationships will improve. Friends hanging out without you? Let them! Relatives griping about you? Let them! Your date ghosts you? Let them! Don’t stress about what you cannot control; focus on what you can.”
There are limits to such a philosophy. The US president-elect wants to buy Greenland? No, don’t let them. Your four-year-old wants to poop in the middle of the living room floor? No, don’t let them. Your boss is trying to force everyone to work overtime on Christmas Eve? No, don’t let them. We control more than we realize.
Perhaps what needs to happen is that we become more authoritarian over our own lives. No, you don’t get to tell me what to do or what to believe. I am the only one who rules my life. No, I’m not going to play by someone’s misguided laws.
No, that results in anarchy and that doesn’t work either.
Like it or not, we are participants in society. We determine what we allow society to tell us, where we want to plug in, and what we want to avoid. What we do affects our society even if we can’t see it. What happens in our society affects us. This is how it’s been for the past 40,000 years or so. Don’t expect it to change just because you may not like the current accommodations.
If you want to be happy today, then do the things that make you happy! Be with family, eat good food, take long naps, watch movies, eat more food, and take another nap. We can worry about the fallout come January 2.
Perhaps bears have the best idea: store up plenty of fat in advance, bring the family together, everyone sleep as much as you can, feed when you need to, shit in the woods, and when you’re finally refreshed come spring, wreak havoc everywhere you go.
Whichever path you choose, I hope you have an enjoyable Christmas Eve.