2022: the first 50 days

Today is the 50th day of the year and I thought I would take some time to reflect on how the year is going, especially since 2020 and 2021, were more bad than good.

There are always going to be negative things going on, but I’ve gotten better at how I respond to them than I used to, which has helped to improve my mental health, but there are still some things I’m always going to end up having negative reactions to.

Lawmakers are still trying to control women, this time with a pregnancy database.

The constant barrage on female autonomy bothers me far more than I wish it did. I agree with many others that the Supreme Court is going to overturn Roe v. Wade. Even though the court decision hasn’t been made yet, it feels like one of the saddest foregone conclusions in my life. It makes me sad, angry and helpless, especially since states surrounding Texas, such as Oklahoma, are struggling to keep up with the influx of patients.

This video/podcast is a fantastic look at where we’re headed if we don’t wake up and vote against Christian Nationalism in the United States.

Your use of the N-word tells me all I need to know about you.

When did it become acceptable to send death threats school board members?

The Supreme Court condemned nine intellectually disabled or mentally ill inmates to execution in past year. We are failing as a species.

MoviePass is forcing you to watch ads. It’s a disgusting view of what’s coming in the near future. When that day arrives, I’m leaving the internet.

Today is also the 80th anniversary of Executive Order 9066. Just Security has a nice series on what happened. We never should have put people into internment camps and it’s sad and shocking people think this is still a good idea.

Despite the many people in Scottsbluff who have tried to convince me over the past decade that racism does not exist, their beliefs run contrary to the truth. I’ll never buy a Tesla.

If you use a child as a shield against the police or anyone else, you’re a terrorist and a piece of shit.

People continue to be assholes, but there are some good people left in the world.

I still believe if you want people to do better, you have to give people the opportunity to be better. It starts with me. It starts with you.

The problem is, we give too much attention to the minority who shout the loudest. Here are a few things which give me some hope for humanity, even if it is only little bit.

This guy spent six months making a video about the Orion Nebula.

https://youtu.be/GI3X-lolpAk

So, what about me? Here’s what my first 50 days of 2022 have looked like.

The pull of Facebook is real. I’m still not going to create a fourth account and go back even though I’ve lost touch with some people.

I went hiking with my friend, Steve, and his daughter, Sara, twice while Sara was in town visiting. He took some cool photos of me at Cedar Canyon Wildlife Management Area and Bead Mountain. The photo at the top is of me atop Bead Mountain.

I had a bit of a medical scare, but it all turned out all right in the end. It triggered a bad 24 hours of flashbacks, but I got through it and I’m all good physically.

This photo also shows I still have some improvement to make when I take a selfie. I’ve only taken a few selfies, but rule number one is don’t have things protruding from your head. In my defense, I don’t really like selfies and I kind of wasn’t thinking straight at this point in time. The nice thing about all this was the Breast Health Center offers you blankets they tossed in the dyer, so you’re nice and toasty before they stick medical instruments in you.

I said goodbye to my friend, Alvis, who is leaving Agate Fossil Beds National Monument and heading to Mojave National Preserve. It’s just another site in the National Park System I’ll be visiting in the future.

I’ve made another new start, which I will talk about in the future when I’m ready to. Let’s just say, I’m hoping it will help me continue to progress forward from where I am at right now. This new start has also reignited my desire to write and I’m hoping to work through my backlog of stories to tell.

I finished another jigsaw puzzle. I have about another dozen to finish before I start to look at buying anymore. I’ve been assembling jigsaw puzzles since I could hold a puzzle piece in my hand. I find them relaxing and calming and they really help in keeping the flashbacks away.

Formula One starts next month. If you don’t understand why I love Formula One, have a look at this fan made video. Unfortunately, the FOM makes you click to YouTube to watch.

The past couple of weeks I’ve been watching the new car reveals and am downright giddy about it all. This year’s calendar has more for me to look forward to because new regulations mean major new designs of the cars and the hope of another team coming out on top.

I took a selfie that isn’t too shabby. I was having a decent enough hair day while wearing my new shirt.

I will leave you with a quote I read this morning from Seven-time Formula One Champion, Lewis Hamilton, who lost his bid for a record eighth win on the last lap of the last race of 2021. He made his first public comments yesterday since the end of the 2021 season. Many people wondered if he held a grudge against Michael Masi, race director, or Max Verstappen, who won the 2021 championship.

I don’t hold any grudges with anybody. I never think that’s ever a good thing to carry around with you. I moved forwards, I don’t dwell on the past. I feel centered and fully focused. I don’t have anything over my shoulders holding me back this year.

I’m not a big fan of inspirational quotes, but I think this is something we should all strive toward.