Rant #3,042: Just Can't Wait

Goodness, this has been another questionable year on my end, and I am glad that 2022 is just about over and done with.

I wish that I personally could look back at 2022 with glee, but I simply can’t.

I think from here on in and into the future, I am going to have to scope out my years differently than I have in the past, trying to balance the good with the bad.

I could say that my family had generally good health this year, but the last three or four months have been truly horrific for us.

My mother’s mental condition concerns me greatly, and it has forced a change of lifestyle on all of us here that we never foresaw.

And then we topped it off with all the turmoil that we had getting COVID—except for my son, thank God—and I really cannot say that we had our good health for the entire year.

When one scrambles to find good things to say about a year that is just about over, the first thing that comes to mind is good health, and my wife and I had good health for about 11 and a half months, and then we got bit.

Happily, we recovered quickly, so I have to look at things from that perspective … it could have been worse.

We are all working, but I will never get over being told that at age 62, I would never work full time again.

I applied for full-time work this year, three years after that fact, but nothing came of it, still leading me to believe that no matter what anyone says, we still discriminate against people who are considered to be older … and I am living proof of that fact.

I am older, but far from over the hill, but go tell that to those doing the hiring that are probably half my age.

Again, thank goodness I have my remote job. It is what it is, but why was I ever put into the position that I am in, having to settle for such a position because I could not get something better?

This is a question that will follow me for the rest of my life, but I have pretty much accepted the fact that this is where I am and will be … sort of.

I mean, 2022 was really another up and down year, but can I say it was one of my best years?

No, not by a long shot.

Nothing really went right for me during the past year.

I tried to do the right thing, but it just never clicked like it has in past years.

Everything was a struggle, and dealing with others to help you do the right thing became increasingly difficult.

Were there any good things that happened this year?

Yes, there were.

Our son continues to amaze us with his resiliency and his maturity.

He is able to do things that he wasn’t supposed to be doing, or at least we were told by supposed experts that he wasn’t supposed to be doing.

And I just know that for 2023 and beyond, he will continue to amaze us, because at this point, we expect it.

And my daughter is doing well personally and professionally, so that is good, too.

I celebrated my 65th birthday this past year, and my family threw me a great party.

But the highlight of the party, for me at least, was that I was able to replace my wife’s diamond ring, a promise I made to her years ago to do.

The ring had fallen out during a prior cruise, we ere never able to find it, and I vowed that one day, I would replace it, and I presented her the ring during my party.

It was an experience the two of us will never forget.

We had two decent vacations this year.

The first vacation was the best road trip vacation we ever took, traveling south and doing everything that we planned to do, satisfying each of our needs and desires of things to do on a family vacation.

It was a very relaxing time, even though I did work during that week away.

And I worked on the few days we had away on our cruise, and we had a fine time visiting Bermuda.

The only problem with that vacation was that I do believe we picked up the COVID bug from that voyage, but we will never know for sure.

Looking over the year, we laughed a lot, we cried a lot, we threw up our hands in disgust a lot … much like any other year.

But somehow, I won’t ever look at 2022 with much fondness.

My mother’s fate was sealed this year, and who knows what 2023 will bring?

So for my new year’s resolutions … I really don’t have any.

My family and I will continue to do the best that we can in the face of terrible adversity.

I told my wife last night that I do believe that 2023 will be a difficult year for us, and I truly believe that personally.

But I watch our son further mature, and it gives me a lot of hope for the new year, too.

How will he amaze us in 2023?

That really keeps me going, because I simply can’t wait!

Have a wonderful new year, a great weekend, and I will speak to you again with my first Rant of the new year on Monday.

Tally-ho and away we go!