One of the most difficult aspects was being confronted every day with the news. This includes the actual contents, typically the cruelty, stupidity, and corruption of the current regime. But it also includes the obvious degradation of the news purveyors. Once-trusted operators like the Gray Lady now normalize the worst of things, or platform idiotic opinion columnists (who seem to find new ways to be clueless). Most disturbing is the contrast -- a headline that talks about blatant violations of the Constitution above a listicle with a title like "We tried the 10 best air fryers -- Here's the one you should buy!" or some clickbait celebrity gossip. If that's what the New York Times is doing, what does that say about the people who write the Times and those of us who read it?
My social media feeds increasingly featured professional content creators and advertising, and I intend to take a break from social media consumption in 2026 (though I expect I will still be posting about my music and other creative work from a dashboard). It became harder to square the time I spent with those sites with the meager returns I got (mostly distraction, with a dash of emotional activation).
January's highlights were a visit from a friend and a photo shoot for Non Standard Time -- my friend Thomas and I released an ambient/electronic album ("Airline") which was well-received.
In March, I got out of town to my happy place for a bit, a nice short break between school and life. I finished a new song for Sid Luscious and The Pants.
April saw my 3rd bout of COVID, which was unfortunate but ultimately fairly easy. It is strange how normal this seems now, when just a few years ago it would have been cause for panic. The miracles of modern medicine and time passing, I suppose.
In May, I completed some small home improvement tasks. We saw Nick Cave in concert, a fantastic show by an artist who had been on my must-see list for many years.
June brought a significant life event: the death of my father. The impact continues to reverberate, and I am still working through a complicated mix of feelings and thoughts. I find myself thinking about him more than I expected. I have few regrets about my relationship with him, but "few" is not the same as "none".
I had a birthday in July. I went down to Carmel-By-The-Sea for a small vacation, to walk around, browse some used records, and rest before the school year restarted. Weather and earthquakes conspired to limit my options a bit, but it was still lovely.
In August, I started my final year of graduate school. This included beginning to work as a therapist trainee, counseling students at a local high school. The entire process, from the training to actually doing sessions with students, has been educational and transformative. Between grad school and the high school, I was busier and harder-working than in some years of my corporate career. It isn't lucrative (I'm working for free!) but it is satisfying. The weeks fly by.
The back half of the year was primarily occupied with school and work. Sid Luscious and The Pants took the stage again in October, playing at the Kilowatt in San Francisco. I reconnected with an old friend who was passing through, a reminder of how important relationships can be. At my age, I can't make friends like that anymore -- there just isn't enough time.
The year closed out with a nice getaway for a few days, and a break from all of the school and the work, giving me a chance to catch my breath.
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