December 05, 2016 
Jane 
It’s the holiday season, right? And so, we are all supposed to be filled with the joy of this time of year – beautiful decorations,
(CC courtesy of PBS NewsHour)
Christmas carols, food and drink and lots of parties. Why then do I find myself so discouraged and even depressed? The truth of the matter is that the horrible events of 2016 have simply worn me out. I just want to bury myself in a good book so I don’t have to look at the headlines any more.
Here are just some of the terrible things that happened this year, a far from comprehensive list:
The deaths of David Bowie, Prince, Leonard Cohen, Muhammad Ali, Gene Wilder, Alan Rickman, Jose Fernandez, Christina Grimmie, Gwen Ifill, and Florence Henderson.
New Ebola cases in Africa and the Zika virus outbreak
The Istanbul Airport attack, the Bastille Day terrorist attack in Nice, France, plus the bombing in Brussels, and the ISIS attack in Jakarta.
The killings of unarmed black citizens.
The nightclub shooting in Orlando and the Dallas police shooting,
Harambe’s killing at the Cincinnati Zoo and the Disney gator attack
California wildfires and Gatlinburg, North Carolina, wild fires, plus the most recent wild fires in Tennessee.
Brexit.
The plane in Brazil running out of fuel and crashing with the young championship soccer team aboard.
The escalating refugee crisis and the horrors in Syria.
And, don’t get me started on the U.S. elections.
I am certainly hoping that 2017 is far, far better. Curious, though, do you all agree that 2016 was a miserable year? And, what are you reading to take your mind off the news?
Dammit, I’d just taken an Oversharer’s Anonymous vow to stay off the comments section of this blog till after Christmas, and then you and Eric start having a massive anxiety attack about all and sundry, so pray allow me to administer brandy… First: You can’t complain about Death making his rounds-David Bowie, et al. Happens. Second: Cold comfort may be a bit chilly, but whatever’s going on out on the 24-hour news feed it’s a quiet day compared to 1968, and downright restful compared to 1942. (Although you wouldn’t know it to watch some of the classic films of that era) And OK…We would’ve had a solid national 401K with Hillary, but we cashed it in for What Lies Behind Door #4, and a lot of previously chained lunatics are planning a field day. However, for all his many faults, Trump is loyal to no one but his own imagined greatness, and a lot of pros are crowding the ship’s bridge to steer him away from the icebergs. (And yes, it’s going to be a nerve-wracking 4 years) It’s going to take a lot of sharp wit and irony to dance with these guys, and yes, I know the cupboards are bare. So, pour yourself a stiff one, watch BLADES OF GLORY for Hannukah and RADIO DAYS for New Years, and I’ll try to stay out of your coffee bar till much later; here’s a silver sovereign for the tip jar and off I go………….
I’m with Kevin. If you’ve lived long enough, all years seem equally good or bad. 2016 wasn’t that big a deal. Could’ve had Chernyobl (however you spell it). Or the stock market crash. Or World War III. Count your blessings.
And go read some fiction. That’s what it’s for — escaping.