It’s good news week
Someone’s dropped a bomb somewhere
Contaminating atmosphere
And blackening the sky

And it’s not great for my mental health. 2025 has moved from being just around the corner to at the damn door, and an old mans thoughts turn to what to do with the ever dwindling years he has left. I am not delusional enough to believe I can change anything within, but maybe I can change something external to give me a better chance of making through the next 12 months. I think the best thing I can do for my health is to avoid news. I don’t mean just not actively seeking out day to day news, but vigorously avoiding all the sources of news that I can. I get that pretending awful stuff isn’t happening won’t make me a good citizen, but constantly be depressed and anxious doesn’t make me particularly useful to society either.

So next year instead of engaging in political discourse I am going to block every word I can think of that might lead me down the wrong path. I suspect at least the next 4 years (at least) is going to be an absolute dogs breakfast, and there is absolutely nothing I can do to change it. I am skeptical of the effectiveness of shouting on the internet, and I am not wired to erase a CEO. I have very limited time and resources available to me, so I have to prioritize my very small circle. I can on a good day help my friends, be kind to the odd stranger, and make a safe haven for my family.

No news, no politics, no drama is probably impossible without completely disconnecting from the world, and I have already gone a little too far down that path in the last few years. It got very easy to feel comfortable at home during covid, and then again when I was sick. Hopefully I can find a bit more balance in 2025 and try to let people in, ask for help, and help others in return, but I am not going to be able to do that if I am in a constant state of depression about the state of things. I am glad there are people out there dedicated to societal on a grand scale, I’m going to need to step away and occasionally feed a duck or adopt a cat.