Oh, and yes, Happy New Year!

Imagine pictures of fireworks, flags, champaign, and other

New Year’s type Stuff

• * — — -* — — -* — — -* — — -* — — -*

So, I’m going out to eat with a bunch of friends and then to one of their homes to usher in the new year. Health and Happiness to everyone. Including all of you our in virtual land.

Obviously, it is a very strange time in my life. I have been told that a small group of cells in my body are behaving badly, and that they will eventually pose a threat to my existence unless I do something about them.

I have taken the preliminary steps to do something about it, but the actual process of reducing and then eliminating those cells has not yet begun. While waiting for that to take place I still feel fine. Yes, I always have this vague feeling that something is wrong, but that is in my mind and does not come from those renegade cells that are acting badly.

As a result of my many years as a therapist, I have become convinced that my mind has very little impact on those cells. A good attitude is helpful in keeping my body strong. It is also helpful in that people will tend to stay around me more if I am somewhat upbeat, cynical and funny, and not moping and trembling in the face of uncertainty. In other words, a good attitude is more helpful to others than it is to me.

But it is not my nature of mope and fear. I know there are things that I can control, and now there are big pars of my life that seem uncertain. I can do what I should do, but for the next few days that is very limited. My wife is more of a take-charge person. She does not like to just let things happen. She often has solution to things that are not problems. Perhaps, in that way, we compliment each other.

It is the “holiday season.” During this time I usually meet with, and review the year with several friends. This year was no different. But this time the meetings all began with my reviewing my situation. Everyone has been caring and concerned, and that’s nice. But it gets repetitive. I will do it again for a while tonight. But then, because in every other way I am pretty healthy, we all will get beyond that, and except for a few more of my morbid quips than usual, the evening will be only a bit more melancholy than last year. Part of that will be due to my diagnosis, but most of that is because everyone at the party is in the same stage of life that I am. Many people already have their own diagnosis. Everyone there will be between 68 and 80 years old. We all know that anything could happen at any time, and eventually it will.

In the face of all that, let’s be jolly and frolic around, with whatever makes us happy and makes those around us happy. That goes for all of you out there in virtual land, some of whom are all over the world, which is fun.

HAPPY NEW YEAR.

Again, it should be a better year, with more peace, love health, harmony and prosperity.

I do have one wish for my friends and my country, and that is to

GET RID OF ALL OF THOSE GREEDY, CALLOUS, MEAN REPUBLICANS!!! Starting with Trump, Paul Ryan, and McConnell. They are a threat to all of our health, welfare and freedom.

Let’s do that in 2018!!

Again, my best to all of you, whether you agree with me or not.

DJB