We are at the last day of 2025. It wasn’t the worst year for me, but it most definitely pushed me to the brink a few times. I know there is no perfect year, but since 2021 there have been more calamities than joy. This year brought some health scares with my daughter, as well as a health scare we’re still in the midst of with my older brother. Lots of juggling balls, and the ground keeps shaking.
I guess if I wasn’t someone that felt everything so deeply I wouldn’t be as consumed with the negative, but I do feel it all. I’m like an emotional sponge, and I suck it all up regardless good or bad. I’ve said this before, but I’m wired for worry. Of course, I never really noticed just how much I was affected by everything around me until I became a dad. You want to know how you deal with stress? Want to test your mettle? Well then I suggest see how you do when your three-year old wakes you up at 2am on a Tuesday coughing incessantly, or with vomit strewn down their footie pajamas. You see just what you’re made of in those situations.
It doesn’t change when the 3-year old is 13, or 22. They can just tell you what they’re feeling at that point, as opposed to you having to be a mind reader when they’re a toddler.
Having empathy and being empathetic to others hurt and anguish, IMO, are what separate us from sociopaths, the psychos, and the narcissists of the world. You can’t be a fully human being if you can’t worry and feel for others in distress. It’s not about giving money or gifts, but just maybe some time and some understanding to someone who’s going through it; mentally, physically, and emotionally. To hear a prominent Far Right Christian idealogue brag about empathy being a weakness is something. But then to have that same internet personality be shot dead in front of a crowd of his sycophants while in the midst of talking about black on black violence(surprise…he was shot by a young, white conservative), is kind of mind-boggling.
Anyways, I’m getting off track.
Point is, there’s been lots to worry about over the last 5 years between my own family circle and the world at large. There’s also been plenty of good as well. Two kids graduated high school, one graduated beauty school. Our oldest graduated college in 2022. My wife has a great job and is finally happy with new co-workers that are all on the same page. My job went from being eliminated in July of 2024 to staying for the foreseeable future(at least another 10 years.) My parents are healthy at 76 and 79-years old. My wife and our kids are healthy and happy. I still love making music and art, and am still passionate about films, books, and albums. Financially we’re good, and can still help out our kids when they need it. I recently bought an external CD burner so I can start ripping my CDs onto my laptop. I want to be free of Spotify and just start loading music onto an MP3 player.
For all the pissing and moaning I’ve done this year about stuff, I’m generally content about life, and especially my own life. I couldn’t ask for a better partner in life and parenthood. She asked me where I’d like to go for a trip this summer. I told her I have no idea, but just that she’s thinking ahead like that is fantastic. Where do I want to go? I still don’t really know, but I know I want to go….somewhere. We didn’t take any big trips this year. The Colorado trip in 2024 took a lot out of me, so I needed a gap year for trips. We do have tickets to two shows already. We’re seeing the SatchVai Band in May, and John Mulvaney and Friends in September. If something pops up close this year then we’ll check it out. I’d love to catch more jazz live.
I’m excited for new music and movies in 2026. And I’m excited to see where the year takes my kids.
I hope 2025 treated you all with some respect and dignity. And I hope 2026 will do the same.
Before I leave you to your New Year’s Eve celebrations, here’s some music culled from my favorite albums lists that you need to hear if you haven’t.
SML : How You Been
Causa Sui : In Flux
Makaya McCraven : Off The Record
Panda Bear : Sinister Grift
Jeremiah Chiu & Marta Sofia Honer : Different Rooms
Gerald Clayton : Ones & Twos
Oneohtrix Point Never : Tranquilizer
Rival Consoles : Landscape From Memory
Mark Pritchard/Tom Yorke : Tall Tales
Billow Observatory : The Glass Curtain
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