Tag: 2025

2025

Vote for Democracy #50

(Photo by Lucas Sankey on Unsplash)

I, along with millions of others in the United States, faced January 2025 with dread, knowing that Donald Trump would be inaugurated on January 20th. Many of us had read Project 2025 and feared what he would do once back in office.

The reality was worse than the fears had been.

The level of corruption, lawlessness, and unethical behavior has been staggering, as has the complicity, cooperation, and feigned ignorance of many big corporations, media, Republicans, and the majority of the Supreme Court.

Still, I am more hopeful in January 2026 than I was last year.

Many judges in the lower courts are ruling against the administration’s power grabs. A scattering of Congressional Republicans are joining with Democrats to oppose some of Trump’s wishes. Lawyers are stepping up to defend people harmed by Trump’s actions. Some in the media are standing firm for speaking the truth and investigating what Trump wants to hide. Some in academia, medicine, economics, law, and other fields are loudly spreading the truth.

What gives me the most hope, though, are the millions of Americans taking action in defense of our democratic values of equality, decency, and fairness. Many have attended protests, both large and small, in 2025 and plan to continue in 2026. We write and call our representatives with our views. We try to protect those being persecuted or marginalized. We feed the hungry. We look out for public health.

We speak the truth and demonstrate our love for our country.

It’s not that I expect 2026 to be any easier under this president, but I know that even more people will speak out and we will begin to reverse the damage Trump and his many minions are doing to our nation.

Deep breath.

Let’s go!

This post is part of Linda’s Just Jot It January. Join us! Find out more here: https://lindaghill.com/2026/01/02/daily-prompt-jusjojan-the-2nd-2026/

2024/5

In late December/early January, many people look back over the year, reflect on its highs and lows, or create some kind of tally.

Sometimes, tallies are created for us, such as Words With Friends, which I have played for 13 years, helpfully telling me I made 8,875 moves in 2024. In my early years of WordPress blogging, they would send us each an annual wrap-up, which I enjoyed. Theoretically, I could put some stats together myself, but I don’t have the wherewithal to manage it.

Some of my poet/writer friends would tally their publications – and rejections – for the year. Given how 2024 went for me, the lists of both would be short, as would the list of completed poems, although I am very grateful that I managed to attend the Boiler House Poets Collective week-long residency at The Studios at MASS MoCA.

My 2024 was mostly taken up with personal and family health issues and my spouse B preparing for his retirement from IBM, which has now happened.

We begin 2025 in uncertainty. With daughter T and I still struggling to find full diagnoses and treatment, what we had imagined B’s retirement to look like is not going to be enacted, at least, not right away.

None of this is helped by the huge uncertainty about what will unfold when DT becomes US president again on Jan.20.

My father used to say “One day at a time” a lot. I am, though, by nature a planner, so I had trouble with the concept.

Now, sometimes, I feel that things are moment-to-moment or that time is somehow suspended or irrelevant.

So, yeah, 2025.

Guess I’ll strive for one day at a time…
*****
Join us for Linda’s Just Jot It January! Find out more here: https://lindaghill.com/2025/01/07/daily-prompt-jusjojan-the-7th-2025/

One-Liner Wednesday: Just Jot It January 2025

Linda G. Hill of Life in Progress is bringing us Just Jot It January for the 11th year and you are all invited to join by linking your January posts to her blog each day!

To participate in One-Liner Wednesday and/or Just Jot It January, visit here: https://lindaghill.com/2025/01/01/one-liner-wednesday-jusjojan25-the-1st-happy-new-year/