It is almost the end of another year. 2021 has been a ride to be simple about it. With the wider issues of the nation - a combination of an ineffective senile old codger and his bad polices leading the nation, and this whole pandemic mess (which I believe has been taken way out of both context and control) have made things more challenging for everyone) - I have had a number of specific things that I have experienced that marked this past year. So, I wanted to share and retrospect a bit on that, and thus give my end-of-year analysis.
First, the constants - my doctoral studies wrapped up their first year, and I am currently ending the fourth semester of those. Also, a lot of transformation has been happening around the house - new furniture, a lot of readjusting, and several other new developments. On the more specific aspects, as you know Barbara and I separated last year, and our divorce was finalized in June. It was something neither of us would have expected to happen, but things do happen. We still remain close as friends though, and actually have a better relationship as friends than we did as spouses. And, Barbara has also proven to be a great support for a couple of other things that have happened this year which will be discussed momentarily. Although the legal/civil divorce has happened, I am currently in the process of being granted an annulment by the Church, which would allow both of us to eventually remarry if that should be something God allows for either of us. That whole process has definitely opened up a whole new chapter, and the subsequent adjustments are still something I am acclimating to.
Due to COVID and all the hoo-hah associated with that, church has become a challenge. For a significant number of Sundays this year, many Sunday Masses have been participated via television, and I am very thankful for both St. Elias Maronite Church in Birmingham, AL, as well as Fr. Frank Pavone of Priests for Life, for making available televised Masses. I also have switched parishes this year as well, as now I am attending St. Mary Church in downtown Hagerstown rather than St. Joseph, although the latter is closer to home. The problem with St. Joseph is that despite having a very compassionate priest, Fr. John Jicha, there are theological/political liberals in parish leadership there who unfortunately exert more influence than they should (not to mention the Mass music, which has been supplied by a wannabe rock musician who utilizes secular tunes as Communion hymns, a BIG no-no). St. Mary's on the other hand is an older (it is almost 250 years old) and is more solidly conservative and in line with Magisterial teaching of the Church as traditionally understood. They also offer the Extraordinary Form (Traditional Latin Mass) as well as a much more reverent Ordinary Form Mass. I do miss teaching the kids though, and look forward to eventually getting back into that at St. Mary's, something both my new parish priest, Fr. Cibelli, as well as the Faith Formation Director there are on-board with. The big challenge at this point is transportation, which I will address at this point.
Although I definitely can drive a car obviously, I don't have one - an extended period of unemployment aside from some contract paralegal work has made finances a bit challenging but workable, yet I still need to invest in a vehicle once I am able to do so. I am praying this year we can make that happen, as it is a real handicap not to have one's own transportation.
The other issue I have faced has been over the past couple of weeks. My elderly mother, who is hitting her 75th birthday at the end of the month, had a nasty fall on December 3rd that resulted in a dislocated shoulder. After being hospitalized for a time, it was also discovered that she had a fractured bone in her right knee, and as a result she has been having difficulty getting around. Even as I am writing this today, she has physical and occupational therapists in her room assisting with her. However, the big issue is the Veterans Administration (VA). My mother, as those who know me are aware, is a Vietnam veteran - she and my dad actually met while they were in the Army together on Okinawa. That being said, she gets most of her care from the VA, but due to the governmental aspect of it, the VA is a confusing mess of apathetic bureaucrats who are all talk and no action, and I have had my share of run-ins over the past week with both nurses and social workers who lack empathy and understanding, and their attitudes have left a lot to be desired. To be honest, at this point my mother needs to be in a rehab facility where she can get more comprehensive care, but she is having issues with that - although a very dedicated patient advocate at the VA has been working her tail off trying to get Mom into one of those facilities, this whole pandemic BS is causing issues as many facilities won't take in patients unless they have had the six dozen "Fauci Ouchies," which are no guarantee anyway. This is why the words "COVID" and "Fauci" are both cusswords to me at this point, as those two factors - in addition to the current President and his ineptitude - are really having an adverse effect on so many. It is my hope that we are almost at the end of this madness and that life can begin to be normal again.
On a lighter note, I have given my music update a couple of months back, and my developments continue there. At the present, I am approaching around 3000 total recordings - LPs, CDs, and DVDs - and there are still new acquisitions on the way in the mail. I was able to incorporate that interest into a class project for an American Entrepreneurship course I had which wrapped up this week. Some of the previous blog articles also reflected that study as well. In addition, I have also purchased both a pocket trumpet and a curved soprano saxophone, the latter I already know how to play and the former I want to learn once my doctoral work is finished. Additionally, I have also gotten back into collecting miniatures too, and managed to find some pretty unique stuff. Having these side hobbies and interests have been therapeutic as there is much going on and a diversion becomes a necessity.
At any rate, that is my year thus far, and as I close out, I hope everyone has a blessed and joyful holiday season - for Christmas, may we always remember the reason we celebrate also - and it is my hope we all have a much better 2022. As this will also be my last blog post for the year, I will be back to visit again in 2022 as well.
