Happy Winter Solstice!

Today is the shortest day of the year, for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere. First day of winter, and--just FYI--the day before my birthday.

Which leads me to all sorts of crappy remembrances and considerations. I try not to look out on the world because it gets me down--it's becoming a colder, grayer place out there. The sheer amount of hatred and out-and-out rage I'm seeing directed at poor people, gay people, people of color, non-Christians . . . it depresses me. It's becoming the age of "I'm Better than You." Politicians, and those who vote for them, seem to take absolute glee in cutting off benefits that people depend on to live. Even veterans. Even children. Let them starve. They aren't like us, so they aren't even human. Who cares what happens to them?

We're in a world of black-and-white. You vote like me, so you're Good. You vote the other way, so you're Evil. There is no longer a gray area, no longer a place where we can compromise. If you attempt to find a middle ground you are considered a traitor.

I've joked in the past about finding myself a cabin in the mountains. Over the past couple of years it's less a joke and more of a real desire.

Sorry to be such a downer. I'm just looking into the future and not seeing much hope for humanity.

But, then, maybe humanity isn't such a good thing anyway. Maybe this world would be a better place without us. I close my eyes and imagine a world with no humans at all. It's not such a bad place, really. While the things we've built will remain for a long time, the air will eventually clear, endangered species will multiply, pollution will finally filter out of the environment. In a thousand years or so, the earth would recover from the harm we've inflicted, and maybe we'll either be forgiven or, better yet, forgotten. Maybe then someone else will be able to move in and take over, someone who will be more appreciative of this place and more aware of and concerned about the damage they can inflict on others.

But, probably not.

So, Happy Solstice, anyway.