Happy Winter Solstice Season! The celebrations around the time that the sun’s path in the sky starts getting higher again, and the days longer, seems to stretch back into prehistory. It’s no accident that we observe many of our most cherished religious holidays and celebrate a new year around this time. It’s kind of a corrective. Have a season of good will and fellowship in the darkest time of winter. At least in the northern latitudes.
In terms of posting this year, the volume went up a bit, to 45 posts. Although total comments declined to 1300. Much of that, I think, was due to a lot of posts on science fiction novels, which don’t often garner much discussion. Usually you get fiction posts here when life is busy and I don’t have much time for deep thoughts. But this year it was with a purpose, to put myself in the mindset for doing my own fiction writing. It had some success, but only some because it still was a pretty busy year.
Although work is gradually becoming less frantic than it’s been in recent years. The big project is mostly done, although there are always new projects in the pipeline. I periodically think about retirement, but the world remains a mad place, and reducing my options still doesn’t feel like the right move, at least while work remains tolerable, which of course could change at any time.
All of which makes my online life a much needed distraction. One reason you never see work posts here, and rarely political ones, is to preserve that distraction. For you, my online friends, and all the interesting philosophical conversations we have, I remain grateful. Thank you!
Whatever the season means for you, I hope you and your loved ones are safe and having a merry season.
Happy Holidays!
SelfAwarePatterns 
Dickens does Christmas rather well. I must re-read A Christmas Carol. Yet again. Yes, it’s fascinating to realise this time of year has always been celebratory, for the reasons you cite.
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I haven’t read the original since high school. Might be an interesting exercise.
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Merry Christmas Mike! Can’t wait to see some of your fiction work, and looking forward to another year of your great blogs.
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[fwiw, as of last month I am officially (mostly) retired. Liking it so far. May even get around to fleshing out my Psychule theory. It could happen.]
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Thanks James! On the writing, I hope to show it to you someday.
[Good to know. I suspect I’ll love retirement, just judging by how nice it is during these weeks when I’m not working. Maybe this year will be when I finally pull the trigger. It would probably help with the writing a lot.]
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Merry Christmas! And congrats on 45 posts. That’s a lot of writing!
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Thanks Tina!
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“Tolerating work,” I hear ya.
2026, I wonder how much more tumultuous it can get. Is there an “11” on the dial? I’m afraid to look.
No time like to present to begin your writerly journey. The writer’s tool set is ready, I’d say.
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Yeah. I have this suspicion I’ll miss some aspects of work once I let it go, but I tell myself the trick will be having some new mission.
One nice thing about blogging is it does help with developing your voice. It doesn’t mean my next shot at a novel will be ready for primetime yet, but we’ll see.
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