2023 is almost over. All together now, “Good riddance,” right? On a personal note, I lost far too many friends, too young and unexpectedly. Nationally, our political divide just seems to be getting wider. I’ve lost some friends due to that too, although they are still alive.
This year we experienced devastating weather events, high prices, train derailments, wildfires, wars, numerous Speakers and wanna-be Speakers of the House, threats of government shutdowns, misbehaving members of Congress, threats of an impeachment hearing about “we’re not sure yet, but we’re working on it,” a tragic school shooting in Tennessee followed by state lawmakers proposing changes about which “we’re not sure yet, but we’re working on it,” and proposed school voucher programs including details of which “we are not sure about, but we’re working on it.”
We lost Tina Turner, Bob Barker, Norman Lear, Matthew Perry, Jimmy Buffett, Tony Bennett, Rosalynn Carter, Burt Bacharach, Dick Butkus, David Crosby, Gordon Lightfoot, Paul “Pee Wee Herman” Reubens, Suzanne Somers, Cindy Williams, Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, Frank Borman, Brooks Robinson, Harry Belafonte, and Raquel Welch to name a few. Each of them, in their own way gave me entertainment, enlightenment, enjoyment, or knowledge.
With each passing day, I am grateful that Jimmy Carter, Carol Burnett, Dick Van Dyke, Willie Nelson, Mel Brooks, Buzz Aldrin, Bob Newhart, Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Julie Andrews, Dan Rather, Rita Moreno, and Tom Brokaw are still among us, leading their remarkable and long lives.
I’ll add Dolly Parton to that list even though she’s a few years younger than the others. Dolly is true royalty. One of Tennessee’s poorest citizens grew up to become one of its wealthiest and most generous. Any year that gave us Dolly rocking a holiday halftime in a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader outfit wasn’t all bad.
2023 is also the year Taylor Swift shattered every entertainment record from concert grosses, to album sales, to movie tickets. She also opened her vast checkbook to many people in need, including victims of the December tornado outbreak in middle Tennessee. Politicians take note: “Swifties” are now a huge chunk of the voting population. You don’t want to get on her bad side in 2024, or beyond.
Speaking of age, we lost a 90-year-old Senator, Dianne Feinstein of California. She had long been in poor health. She is among many government figures who struggle with the effects of strokes, loss of mobility, memory lapses, sudden “freezing” while speaking, and signs of dementia. Still we refuse to institute age limits for those who hold our most important offices. It seems simple enough to me. At age 75, we give them a gold watch and the hefty pension they created for themselves. That age limit alone would eliminate two of our biggest current concerns: the two major party candidates for president in 2024, who according to the polls, both trail someone named “Neither.”
But the year wasn’t all bad. Gas prices are down substantially, the stock market is hitting record highs, unemployment is down, manufacturing is up, infrastructure repairs and rebuilding are underway, inflation is finally easing, retail sales are up, and drug prices may finally be under control. Despite these good economic signs, many Americans are still angry because their favorite “news” sources depend on that to drive up viewership.
So as we approach 2024, I have a few predictions to share. I think columnists are required to do this. As comedian James Gregory would say, “It could be a law, I don’t know.”
Prediction # 1: Neither Biden nor Trump will be on the November 2024 presidential ballot. Whether it is health, the judicial system, or totally unforeseen circumstances, I think they’ll both step down, or be rejected by their respective parties during the first half of the year.
Prediction # 2: Various members of the US Congress and state legislatures will continue their recent record of punting and ignoring crucial issues like gun safety and the budget, earning widespread condemnation and low approval ratings. Then they will all be re-elected.
Prediction # 3: If I’m right about Prediction # 1, I will say “I told you so.” If not, I will conveniently forget I made that prediction. Happy New Year!
