Happy New Year!
Yes! Maybe. We’ll see what happens. I’m open. I’m not hopeful but I’m not totally despairing. I’m in that sweet, almost total despair place.
I have no real reflections on the last year other than it was nice that there were no fires. Living in California, the idea of plenty of water, no more drought and no fires for a year is so amazing I can't even describe it. That was a bit of a load off for the entire year.
My relationship with Kit that started as a Covid lockdown thing is still a thing with no lockdown and going on much longer than either of us anticipated. We are oddly suited for each other because we like to be alone and doing our own dumb shit but we also like being together. I’m not sure which we like more but we are doing pretty well. Which is excellent.
I turned 60 and I guess the years ahead of me are fewer and there is no real way to know how many I have left but I seem to be fully willing to freak the fuck out about dying whenever I can. I was out of the full panic anxiety death spiral cycle for years. It’s back. Sixty is starting out great.
I have no real plans or resolutions for the new year. I’d just like to keep creating, challenging myself and trying not to be so hard on myself. Maybe move to New Mexico, disappear.
The world is breaking down. The Israel/Gaza war is devastating on a daily basis. Ukraine, Sudan, Yemen, Nigeria, Central America. There is no shortage of pain and war and famine and mass murder. Seems daily. I try to stay informed. I don’t dig too deep. Enough to get an idea of what is going on. I do what I can, which isn’t going to change anything much. I try to put the weight of the world into my work and donate what I can when necessary but that certainly doesn’t feel like enough. Nothing does.
I was grateful that my HBO special From Bleak to Dark made a few Best Of lists. That was rewarding. I like feeling like I’m not doing what I do for nobody. Being acknowledged in print means something, I don’t care what anyone says. Maybe I’m old timey.
I have been very excited about all the different types of genius being churned out in movies, music and art. It seems that all of the arts are finding their way out of a devastating few years and really kicking ass. People are hungry for a way to see what is going on in the world or to see themselves through the work of creative people. Which is spectacular.
Of course bullshit and mediocrity abound. Like a powerful river of garbage flowing through our culture and consciousness right out of our handheld brainfuck machines.
Oh well. That’s just a given, I guess.
Today we have a New Year's day compilation of stuff from The Friday Show with Brendan McDonald and Kris Lopresto. It’s usually available for Full Maron subscribers only but now you all can get a taste. Thursday is our 1500th episode! We’re just doing a regular-but-great episode with Paul Giamatti. A truly representative WTF episode.
Enjoy!
Boomer, Monkey and LaFonda live!
Happy New Year!
Love,
Maron
