Year of the Rat? That is what the Chinese calendar predicted for us in January of this year. Well, that was fucking bullshit. This was the year of the Honey Badger. Only the sadistic venomous callous homicidal spirit of the Honey Badger could bring about such concentrated cruel and evil drama in a single year
Honey Badger don’t give a shit about nobody. The Chinese apparently do not advertise the year of the Honey Badger in their cycle of Zodiac spirit animals. For good reason. Let’s hope it’s at least a thousand years before we have another year of the Honey Badger.
At the end of each year, I like to list out the top 100 fun things I did this year.
Here is this year’s list.
1 Went to LA to watch World Rugby 7’s with my old rugby mates (March)
2 – 99 Got drunk at home alone
100 Watched Trump take a severe beat-down in the election and then flap in the wind in desperation like the feeble little wisp of a human he is as he witnesses his corrupt power trip erode
Funny, walking around in Asheville in relative warmth and intermittent sunshine and I still can’t find my vibe. It’s a cute little town. But whatever blues I’ve got remains. I thought a few days away might shake it loose. But it remains. My mojo is damaged and I am not sure how to get things right again. Honey Badger probably.
Or just the continued lack of motion and absence of adventure and human interaction. Mostly life just seems boring when there are no adventures to be had. Maybe this is why people have kids–fight off boredom. But I am never bored when I am not constrained in activity. Of course, I say all this knowing that my life is very blessed compared to so many. But still, fucking boredom. Honey Badger.
Maybe it’s a sign to get off my ass and finish my novel. Or I could clean the house I suppose.
I guess we do tend to reflect back on things at this time of year. And during 10-hour drives. I’m aware I’ve done a lot of shit, but that is only compared to some. I’ve never felt like measuring my life against others’ makes sense. I’ve accomplished 1/3 of what I might have if I were focused or simply more productive. I could have written 4 or 5 books. Traveled more. Loved more. Started a few more businesses. Climbed more mountains. Smoked more cigars outside the Royal Hotel with Sjoerd. Started 3 or 4 MYO’s. Maybe raised another dog. Or biked the Continental Divide. Or rode the famed Cape Town to Cairo route on BMW motorcycle.
But I think I took too many naps.
Anyway, judging by my level of spiritual advancement, I am guessing I have a lot of lifetimes ahead of me to continue to learn and grow. Not sure how that works if there is no life left on planet earth. Perhaps there are other planets out there–maybe we inhabit completely new life forms. I’ve always thought it would be cool to be a non-Carbon based lifeform anyway. Give some other chemical and metabolic processes a chance.
A little last minute outgoing news story from 2020. Imagine that you are the mother of Tamir Rice, the 12-year old boy from Cleveland who was shot and killed by police for the crime of being black and playing in a public park. And imagine that you find out now that after all this time and a detailed investigation, the police will not be charged in that shooting. They will remain free to murder again. I watched that video. It was stark. The cruiser pulls up, they pull out their weapons and gun down a 12-year old boy standing there looking at them wondering what all the commotion is about. He had a toy gun tucked inside his pants.
So, fitting end to the year of the Honey Badger.
I will pick up Pops today and start a new chapter with a new roommate.
The Martini Tales 