May you live in interesting times.
Considering all that's going on in the world right now, these certainly seem to be strange times. Never a dull moment.
I know that seems flippant in light of the gravity of the situation but standing a world away from the center of the action, relegated to just an observer and unable to do anything to affect the potential outcome, I jokingly said to a friend that I hope we collectively don't blow up the world in 2024. I said jokingly but maybe that was more serious than I would want it to be.
What's in store for 2024? In February 2023, an SL acquaintance died from esophageal cancer. In July 2023, an ex-colleague from a former job was diagnosed with ALS, and by the end of the year, he was bedridden and on oxygen. In December 2023, another ex-colleague, after a year-long battle with cancer, underwent a medically assisted suicide. As I wrote to a friend of mine, "Let's not wait. Let's do it now. We may not get another chance."
I'm a lucky man. I'm not rich, but I'm okay. I'm not famous, but I am loved by my family. I'm not perfect, but I'm alive. I don't have a lot, but I'm thankful for what I do have.
All the best to you in your worlds (plural: SL & RL). :-)
References
Wikipedia: May you live in interesting times
"May you live in interesting times" is an English expression that is claimed to be a translation of a traditional Chinese curse. While seemingly a blessing, the expression is normally used ironically; life is better in "uninteresting times" of peace and tranquility than in "interesting" ones, which are usually times of trouble.
2023-12-25
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