Its Been a Minute

/ howardshapiro

So let me tell you what we are doing for New Year’s Eve. We are going out for a fairly early simple dinner (no five star Michelin restaurant here – a tad above a hamburger and salad).  Then home for bridge and some combination of Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen – might have to throw in a little Nashville or Ryan Seacrest – although I really like Anderson and Andy especially when they get mildly outrageous. I also made a big deal about what to serve for dessert. I wanted to make that classic icebox cake with the Nabisco Chocolate Wafers and whipped cream – the one you put in the refrigerator overnight but to the best of my knowledge, Nabisco has stopped making them – at least that’s what Publix and Google say. So, I settled for a Fresh Market Chocolate Fudge Pie with Whipped Cream on the side. We will see if it is as good as it looks.

All of this is my way of admitting to myself that I am nervous about 2025. Every year I get one more year older and even though my birthday isn’t until almost the end of the year, I wonder if I am getting closer to my last birthday. In the last six months I have participated in the funerals of three friends. And when I say participated, I mean officiated. And one of my friend’s girlfriends is participating in MAID in the next few days. She has a terminal disease, and her quality of life is rapidly deteriorating. She lives in a State that allows Medical Assistance in Dying and I am in awe of her courage. It is both an act of faith and an affirmation of what quality of life means. I am almost afraid to say this, but I hope I never have to make a choice like this.

All of this is my way of admitting that I am not in control of what this year will bring. Will the hostages in Gaza come home? Will there be an end to this multi-pronged war that Israel is fighting. What will our new president do? Will he act out of a place of revenge and anger or somehow find a way to represent the interests of most Americans who want to live in a free country with security, freedom, and justice for all – a country that respects the rights of all no matter their race, religion, country of origin or sexual identity. And I know I haven’t mentioned the suffering of the Palestinians who are bearing the brunt of the pain that ultimately Hamas has reigned upon them, because if Hamas hadn’t attacked on October 7th, they would be living in a different world. And so would the Israelis driven from their homes near Gaza and the border with Lebanon.

And I could go on. But I am going to go back to my anticipation of the fudge pie and whipped cream and I am going to stop writing and go and get Eileen’s car washed. A good thing to do for the New Year. Sometimes it is the little things that make the difference.

Happy, healthy, prosperous New Year.

11 thoughts on “Its Been a Minute”

  5. I am anxious too. I feel like this world has reached a critical mass of incomprehension and it won’t be able to be fixed from the top down. It has to be fixed or healed from the bottom up. The higher ups (be it the govt, special interest groups, lobbyists, etc) are so pointedly angled to self-interest and “their side” that there is barely a chance. We have to fan the coals of HOPE as humanities greatest resource and take action from the ground.

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  6. Hag Sameach Howard and Eileen

    We are spending New Years eve home, getting takeout from Lemongrass. One of our favorite restaurants.

    Tomorrow is when we are sort of celebrating the New Year. We are getting together with a few friends for dinner.

    We too have a pie story. Little more expansive than yours. We spent Christmas day celebrating Hanukkah at Nadline’s nephew’s condo in Coconut Grove. His daughter, I can never figure out the relationship, is dating the new CEO of Joe’s Stone Crab. I don’t know if you know the story of the succession. The establishment has always been family run. This year it seemed no one in the family wanted to do so. So, they had to look for an outside source. In the search Daniel was selected. He was told of our like for the Key Lime pie, and he brought us one preserved in dry ice. It is supposed to be eaten frozen, which we will be doing so tomorrow.

    The major tragedy of the Palestinian people in Gaza, which the world doesn’t want to acknowledge, is if they didn’t allow Hamas to be their rulers, and if Hamas didn’t do what they did on October 7th, there woudn’t have been the death and destruction that occurred. Shame on the World.

    Optimism is part of the Jewish heritage. In all matters, let us be optimistic.

    All the best in body, mind, and spirit.

    Kurt

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