Hey 2024, I was a little distracted by 2023 and I really don’t pay attention to you arriving. At my age the calendar changes with a whimper and sleep snort not party poppers and champaign toasts. But I see you are here so I will flip my calendar and move on with my life. It’s not like we have a choice in the matter.
2023 was a good year for me. As I hope it was for anyone reading this. So much happens in one’s family, personal life and work world you may not even be able to remember all that transpired the last 12 months. But I have a few highlights and lowlights but such is life. In the end I am here to pick up where 2023 left off and hopefully put together another year of life.
2023 was memorable year. Who will ever forget the 15 voting rounds to elect Rep. Kevin McCarthy to be the new Speaker of the House? Never has our political system on a national level seemed more divided and dysfunctional. But Kevin seemed to be the unpopular decision and man to heal the country. About 9 months after raising his gavel in victory he was ousted. The first time in United States history the House of Representatives removed its Speaker. Good job Representative McCarthy, you made history in 2023. He was replaced by another guy but I can’t remember his name yet. Something to work on in 2024.
February rolled around and the great Chinese spy balloon invasion came floating into our atmosphere. Upon investigation the official government report is “nothing to see here”. If we can’t trust our government, who can we trust. In the something to see here category, March brought the first of 4 indictments around the nation for former President Donald Trump in 2023. This criminal is expected to be elected in November of 2024 to once again be President of the United States according to many polls.
England crowned Charles III as King of England in May. I guess that’s a big deal. I consider myself an expert on the royal family now that I have consumed 6 seasons of The Crown on Netflix. For the record my wife made me watch it.
After the emotional ecstasy of the new king being crown was wearing off, the Titan submersible story rocked the world. A billionaire and his son were killed with others on a homemade submersible exploring vessel due to its implosion. They were sinking to their death with hopes of seeing the wreckage of the Titanic at the bottom of the ocean. Maybe they should have watched the documentary and listened to the many warnings for them to not make the trip.
I still haven’t seen The Barbie Movie or Oppenheimer. But in July it was all the talk of the world. Super movie viewers saw both the same day. I am sure the National Medal of Freedom will be handed to some of these heroes someday. Making good decisions seems to be in their DNA. Thanks ahead of time for saving America you go-getters.
The year trudged along. There was a horrible and tragic fire on Maui in Hawaii. Almost 100 lost their lives with little to no warning. A terrible event not soon forgotten. There were continued strikes in Hollywood with writers and actors. The United Auto Workers walked out and got some nice raises. They claim the cost of vehicles will not go up so run out and buy a new $85,000 pickup truck. Do your part to support the new normal.
War raged on in the Ukraine all year while the Ukrainian President does a world tour for help. This guy gets around. He seems to be the most mobile and free war time president in history. Hamas joined the party in October attacking Israel and sparking an invasion of Gaza that continues. War seems to never be far off in this world. Violence is the heritage of our world. Maybe 2024 has some answers. We can only hope.
2023 I do have a problem with the way you handled our financial lives. Once again food inflation, rising rents and home values rose in a bad way. Mortgage rates and borrowing is becoming hard to swallow. Working class people are being priced out of life. We are promised a soft landing by the Federal Reserve. That seems to be about as trustworthy as UFO disclosure from the Pentagon. Still the official story is “nothing to see here”, “we don’t know what it is or where it’s from, or who is responsible”. Thanks everyone. I feel safe while our leaders do the best for us. 2023 didn’t exactly bolster my confidence in Government.
In sports the Texas Rangers won the World Series to end the baseball season. Congrats to them. The Super Bowl was won in February by the Kansas City Chiefs. But bigger news than that is the love connection we are all enjoying between Taylor Swift and Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce. We are all winners now. Travis is beloved by the Swiftie world of fans. Finally achieving some success in the world, while we all enjoy the never ending camera shots to the luxury suit where Taytay is watching her big hunky man on the football field. I feel alive. My life has more meaning than ever. Thank you 2023 for healing the world with this romance. Meanwhile Taylor Swift is on a world tour making a Billion Dollars. Selling a million dollars a day in merchandise. So order those t-shirts. She needs all the help she can get.
2023 on second thought. Maybe you weren’t that great after all. Entertaining, but it could have been better. 2024 you are up. Don’t let us down.