Day 355 - the shortest day

 Today is the 5th day of the 51st week, the 21st day of the 12th month, the 355th day of 2023 [only 10 more days to go?!], and:

• Anne and Samantha Day
• Celebrate Short Fiction day 
• Crossword Puzzle Day - invented by a British journalist and published for the first time in 1913 by the New York World 
• Don't Make Your Bed Day
• Forefathers' Day
• Global Orgasm Day
• Go Caroling Day
• Gravy Day - celebrated in honor of the song 'How to Make Gravy ' by Paul Kelly 
• Humbug Day
• International Dalek Remembrance Day
• Make Music Day in Winter
• National Coquito Day
• National Flashlight Day
• National French Fried Shrimp Day
• National Hamburger Day
• National Homeless Persons' Memorial Day
• National Kiwi Fruit Day
• National Look at the Bright Side Day
• National Maine Day
• National Regifting Day
• National Short Story DAy
• Phileas Fogg Win a Wager Day
• Ribbon Candy Day
• Short Film Day
• Short Girl Appreciation Day
• Shorts Day [AKA Shake and Freeze Day]
• The First Day of Winter [in the norther hemisphere]
• Winter Solstice - as of 10.27 EST
• World Peace Day
• Yalda
• Yule
• The first day of Pancha Ganapati, celebrated until December 25 
• and Voyager 1 is 22h 33m 59s of light travel time from Earth

Quote of the day:

" We cheerfully assume that in some mystic way love conquers all, that good outweighs evil in the just balances of the universe and that at the eleventh hour something gloriously triumphant will prevent the worst before it happens. "

~ Brooks Atkinson, American theater critic

 And that quote right there summarizes nicely the argument my friend and I have constantly

The quote is used today of all days because it popped up on my Facebook 'memories' feed, although it is one that I have shared many times, even used as part of my email signature at times, replacing the one about winter that I had originally selected as being seasonably appropriate.

The genesis of the constant disagreement always starts with the query about reading - have I read *insert story of the day* and what did I think about it.  I usually respond that I saw it flicker by but didn't read about it in any depth

Next question, why am I not keeping up with the news and reading it?  These are historical times and I need to be informed and involved.  I rather apologetically state that I have been rather avoiding the news [especially when it comes to politics], although I do read analysis about stories that I find.  Immediately the implications of the reaction is that somehow I am therefore not qualified to comment or form an opinion.  This doesn't just come from my friend, but also from online where I am chastised [for example] for accepting published accounts of DJT's words rather than listen to his speeches myself [no thank you].   

Then the conversation expands to choices about entertainment reading.  I've commentated on that before  - no thank you, I don't want to read about RL, I want to read my science fiction and fantasy.  

When I read that quote, I am reminded that somewhere in the core of my being, I really am convinced that it is going to work out the way that it should.  Maybe I've seen too much theater, or read too many books, or even while I deplore what is happening, I just believe in human nature.  However, I do think there is always a danger that we will just assume things will work out without doing something and that is wrong.  We cannot mistake complacency and indolence for optimism and faith - and anyone who has studied history can tell you democracy is indeed undergoing perilous times and we can't just sit back and assume it will triumph.  

In these waning days of 2023, I find that I am not at all looking forward to the turbulence of  2024