A HOLIDAY MESSAGE

As a joke, I thought of reposting the story of the Christmas Eve toy store armed robbery that I’ve already inadvertently posted twice. But most of you would recognize it right away and think that I need to be in memory care.

I’m not boasting when I say it’s a great story. It’s not my story. Someone who directly experienced the incident told it to me at a party about forty years ago. I simply wrote it down. If you haven’t read it, it’s in the archive from last year at this time.

I’ve gotten to meet and/or speak on the phone with many dozens of you. You’re very impressive people: insightful, principled and independent in spirit; you’ve accomplished so much in many different ways. You care deeply about and have done, and still do, much for others. I feel a strong kinship with you. When so many lost their heads, you kept yours and stood your ground.

I’m extremely grateful to have met you. I hope to see or hear from you again. And hear from some of you I haven’t heard from. You have been, and are, lights in the darkness.

Having gotten to know you, I know that many of you face serious, ongoing challenges. Sadly, life is like that. One feels those challenges acutely at this time of year, when we’re supposed to be happy. Some people close to me are dealing with some serious, unfixable stuff. It’s hard for me to be fully happy while these people struggle.

Many of these challenges were made worse by Coronamania. As I said from Day 1, life has always been hard enough without superimposing a fake mega-crisis and isolation and intrafamilial and other interpersonal strife and vaxx injuries on top of it. Those who pushed or accepted the “mitigation” and the shots have left behind one Hell of a mess.

Nonetheless, I hope that no matter where you are, in the US, Canada, Europe or down under, you find peace and reason to be happy this week among people you love. I will be thinking of and praying for you, both generally and specifically.

Sincerely,

Mark