Turn to Page 2021, Please.

Welp, here we are! Happy New Year to 2021! It’s my first day off vacation and had felt the itch to get back into things, both at my day job and writing.

I’m already feeling optimistic about this year with what I have planned, even though I keep repeating in my head “Don’t say that! You said that the last time and looked what happened!”

I did. And by golly, I’ll do it again! I’ve had multiple conversations with my wonderful wife on how this feels different, despite the complete chaos and dire situation the entire world went through.

It all comes down to choice. We choose to find the good in this. No matter how awful, repugnant, loud and cruel things are, we choose how this affects us or weirdly control us. It’s because, in the truth of it, we gave up on that control. We spent almost a year in a mentality of hopelessness thinking the things outside caused it.

Don’t get me wrong, a lot of pain happened. And some of that pain is near irreparable. Some of that pain we still choose to fight back, because there is no room to let pain that will hurt us or others at our table.

So I say along with so many others: if you made it this far, I’m glad your here. If you wish to create, so create. If you wish to speak, so speak. If you wish to laugh, find my freshman high school photo and you won’t regret it.