Four years on Blip

So, four years on Blip (and nearly a whole year on Tumblr prior to that). Looking back over the last four New Year's eves I can see I was feeling pretty good in 2012 and 2013. In 2014, my second New Year in the cottage on Back Lane, which I didn't much like, is a bit more morose, but last year, perhaps knowing I was about to move back into my house, I seem pretty chipper. 

I've lamented my poor memory on here before and Blip is a huge boon to me in that respect. I love going back through old entries and seeing what I was up to, all the adventures I'd forgotten. And looking for something positive to write about each day continues to be a great mental exercise, as does the discipline of looking for something interesting every day (even if I don't always succeed).

If there's a downside to Blip, it's in looking at everyone else's photos and realising that, at best, I'm never going to be better than 'enthusiastic amateur' at photography. That's OK. If it really bugged me, I'd at least get myself on a course or something (although Simon's fifteen minute tuition in the Millstone a year or so ago was an excellent lesson). 

Big picture, 2016 has been a stinker; the worst year for news in my whole life. It's also severely dented my faith in people; who knew there were so many determinedly unpleasant people out there? I despair of Corbyn and May for their ineffectiveness and incompetence, respectively, and I despise Brexit for all sorts of reasons but, most personally, for the conversational wedge it's driven between me and my dad.

Personally, though, it's been another lovely year. My kids are all well, business is good, and the Minx and I trundle on happily: what more could I want? I find myself increasingly grateful for my health (although that is making me think I should be more conscientious about my weight) and I've been deeply saddened by those near to me who are seriously ill or love someone who is. It's trite to ask why do bad things happen to good people, but, really, if those bad things have to happen, why don't that happen to bad people more often?

I'm looking forward to 2017. Sure I'm nervous about Trump but, for what it's worth, at least he's a narcissistic idiot and not actually evil. I fear for the UK, though, and I'm planning to carry on the preliminary preparation for a move to Scotland. I've found that I don't much care for a lot of my countrymen, in both their values and attitudes. Apart from that, I think it's resolutions as usual: be a better dad; do more music; finish writing the book (to which I contributed not one word in 2017).

And, of course, I hope for the best for all my family and friends, both those IRL and online. May your kindness beget kindness.