The year is just about done, and like others before it, 2019 has been a challenging one. Challenging for Jacqueline and me, challenging for this country, challenging for the world.

“We’re still here, Chief!”

For us, it always seems to be about health issues. Nothing life-threatening, just the kind of crap you expect when you reach a certain, uh, age bracket. We still find ourselves vertical every morning after climbing out of bed, and we don’t miss a day exclaiming, “We’re still here, Chief!”

But regarding the country and the world—well, that’s another story. Ignorance, hate, and greed seem to prevail, and it is only getting worse. We Baby Boomers are on shorter leashes, but we are concerned for our children, and their kids. What kind of country—what kind of world—will they inherit if humankind continues down this dangerous path?

In 2020 I ask the Great Spirit for 20/20 vision for all, the clear foresight to know that kindness, compassion, and caring are far better than ignorance, hate, and greed. We’ve been blessed with a wonderful, fragile planet, and we need to be much better stewards, lest the fear of scorched earth becomes a reality. Twenty-five, fifty, one hundred years from now our grandkids and their grandkids should gratefully be welcoming the New Year in a world of peace on a thriving planet.

Happy New Year!