The Thursday Dispatch - 1 January 2026
So, this is the new year/
And I don’t feel any different
– “The New Year” by Death Cab for Cutie
I semi-sarcasticly play “The New Year” by Death Cab every year on this day. We hear about “New Year, new you” during this time. It’s when people decide they’re going to eat better, maybe work out, or try to start some other kind of good habit for the new year. Usually, these propositions fail over the coming months.
There’s also this idea that we can instantly erase the year that just ended. That’s not true though, is it? The stress we had yesterday is still there. Lord knows I’m carrying shit with me, both with my personal life and my job. It’s things like this that have me constantly contemplating moving to create a blank slate somewhere else. The more realistic, yet to a degree harder, path is to take on what we’ve created and to mold it differently. I mean, we can run from our problems, but they’ll just manifest themselves differently in a new location. Until we break the chains of toxicity and set hard-coded standards and boundaries for ourselves, will we actually see things be different? In the long run, it should be much cheaper than relocating across the country. Moving is hella expensive.
I say all of that to say I do wish for a clean slate, or as clean as possible. I’ve definitely done some dumb shit, especially when I’m moody. I know I’m petty at times. Sometimes I wear that as a badge of honor, but sometimes I wish I was kinder. Maybe that’s just my armor against a sometimes shitty world.
I’ve spoken some of what I want to do this year differently, and there will definitely be more. Ultimately, what I want is peace, good health, and good company. I’m really feeling the need to dispose of anything toxic in my life, and I’m willing to set firm lines on this. I’ll filter or delete folks off socials and post there even less than I do. I’ll tell less of my personal business except to those I consider close. I have no problem being a mystery to most. Weird, I have a blog, right? Except this isn’t a direct diary either.
That said, 2025 left me a little grumpy, as I’m sure it did to a lot of others. 2026 will definitely test us as well. The thing we have control over most is our minds and hearts. Try to do the right thing and give a good effort with the things in front of us, and it should be fine.
Weekly Photo
Griffey got a new cat tree for Christmas. His joy is enough for me.
This Past Week
Weekly Links
- A 2026 checklist by Ben Werdmuller
- What did I read this year by Manuel Moreale
- Notes Framework by Pedro Cora
- One Year Later with my Hobonichi Notebook by Jedda
The Listening
- Transatlanticism by Death Cab for Cutie
Songs in the Chaos
This is my weekly list of songs that either caught my attention or came to mind this past week. I post these throughout the week on a site called Crucial Tracks, where they’re also added to a playlist on Apple Music. Feel free to follow me on either space.