2025
A strange year
Personally, 2025 was a pretty good year
Jill and I traveled around Portugal for nearly two weeks
We also spent a couple of very long weekends down in Cape May
We bought a new car
The Philadelphia Eagles won the Super Bowl
Jill retired, un-retired, then retired-retired again
She had her 50th high school reunion
I turned 70, which feels like kind of a big deal
My first novel was published, and I completed my second (to launch soon)
I went to a few writers’ conferences, and spoke at one
I also spoke at the library in town
I had a couple of short stories published
On Broadway we saw Gypsy, Call Me Izzy, Art, Death Becomes Her, Good Night and Good Luck, Queen of Versailles, and Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends
Elsewhere we saw Temple Grandin, Annie Lennox, HMS Pinafore, Hugh Jackman, Jordan Klepper, Judy Collins, New Jersey Ballet, Phillip Glass, Halsey, Amy Poehler & Tina Fey, Doobie Brothers, Scott Turow, and Eliane Elias
It’s been a year of worry as well
The convicted felon and adjudicated rapist in the White House clearly has frontotemporal dementia... this is dangerous for the country (and for other countries too)
In his diminished capacity he’s being used as a Trojan horse by some evil people in their efforts to eliminate every program that helps US citizens, disrupt a free democracy, and institute white Christian nationalism
I learned too many of my friends and relatives have serious failings in character, ethics, and values in the face of the year’s disturbing events; my disappointment with them is deep
I’m heartbroken, actually
This isn’t about politics, it’s about decency: outrage about the abuses shouldn’t depend on which political party you belong to
But then, as Philip K. Dick once said, “If you think this universe is bad, you should see some of the others.”
So I’ll keep waking up and spending my days doing the best I can.
~ James Irwin, 1 January 2026, New Jersey
James Irwin is the author of the novel Nina’s Friends, available on Amazon, BarnesandNoble.com, Apple Books, Kobo, or order through your local independent bookstore. You can also purchase the paperback direct from the distributor at 35% off standard retail price.