Happy New Year 2023!

Photo by BoliviaInteligente on Unsplash

I went to bed at 9 PM on new year’s eve—the usual time. Before that, I was reading How to Begin by Michael Bungay Stanier (he goes by the moniker MBS). Beginning at 7 PM, I started reading where I left off the day before, and finished Chapter 2 (which felt more like a “Part” 2) of the book. There are, in total, 3 chapters (or parts).

Mister Pops and I were sleeping soundly when the fireworks started going off. It’s 23:58 according to my phone that illuminated the time when I touched it. In bed, I continued to listen to the racket—the crackling and the whistling of loud, sporadic sounds—and the dazzling lights that slipped through the blinds into the bedroom. Mister Pops the cat remained unfazed.

And then he climbed out of bed. Yes, we have our nightly routine. But this time, instead of saying “good night, BB,” I wished him a very happy new year and closed the bedroom door behind him. The noise from outside had died off. The calmness of the night had returned. 00:18 — back to sleep!

P/S (a reflection): Transitioning from 2022 into 2023 in this quiet, Zen-like manner feels wonderful to me. I suspect it has something to do with my aging, but I think deep down it is truly who I am and what I want. I am living a dream life.