OK, so 2023 wasn’t that bad.  In fact, one can easily change their perceptions about how the year went by making a pair of lists: one that details personal successes for the year and one that highlights the failures.  Chances are, the year wasn’t nearly as good or as bad as a person might think at first glance.  

I keep a running list of column ideas that I often add to as the months go by.  Since we are on a six week rotation here at the Patriot, some of the ideas are stale or too “old” by the time it’s my turn.  Other times, I decide that it’s best to keep my ideas and opinions to myself (to be honest, my poor wife hears all about them) because I doubt people really care about my five point proposal for Middle Eastern peace.  It’s based on common sense so it probably wouldn’t work anyway.

Quite often, I cross topics off my list because of that pesky word limit imposed by our editor.  After all, it’s hard to trim down my essay on the virtues of buying a new boat to a mere 400 words or less.  Guys, do you know what I mean?

So as we bid adieu to 2023, here’s a snapshot of some of my columns that didn’t make the cut: titles followed by the premise of my argument.

Title: Chocolate or vanilla?  No thanks, I’ll have the strawberry.  

Anytime someone tries to corner you into “either-or” thinking, realize that you are being gaslit.  Don’t fall for the trap.  How often are there really only two options to any dilemma?   

Some of the best decisions I have ever made personally or professionally were the result of compromise, debate and going through the process of exploring options.  Often times, the end result wasn’t on my original list of solutions.

It’s time to quit rewarding bad behavior or being afraid to challenge the status quo.  Doing something just because “that’s how we’ve always done it” can lead to a debilitating failure.

This is especially true in politics - if all one candidate can do is tell you how bad the other option is, then it’s time to move on.  Make sure you’re prepared for this with the upcoming onslaught of political ads that will permeate every corner of our lives in 2024.

Title: The best local restaurant of the year for 2023.

I would love to expand on my many months of gut-busting research into this column idea, but once again I hit my 400 word mark.  Until next time . . .