Part of my 2023 project is to shrink my world, or at least shrink the degree of my awareness of it. One of my Aspie traits is that I am addicted to my routines. Much of my life is simply ruled by them. I get up in the morning and after the usual bathroom stuff, I head for my computer to browse the daily news. I have about six different sources that I go through every day to get a well-rounded view of the world. That process usually takes about an hour, and then it is time for my 1/2 hour shower. I have been doing this for at least a dozen years now, and I think that might be part of the problem with my always present depression.

Day after day, week after week, I read about the Ukraine war and how some think it will end soon and others think it won’t end at all until Russia implodes. Every morning, I am inundated with pictures and stories of that megalomaniac Trump and the totally idiotic things he does. I am getting pretty good at skimming over these daily Chronicles of a Narcissist articles as soon as I see his picture. I am dreaming that in 2023 a large portion of his adoring followers will finally realize that he has done much more harm to them than any possible good. I am fantasizing that in 2023 he will finally limp into his castle in Florida and just spend 24/7 admiring images of himself and leave the rest of us alone. I am dreaming of these things, but I am not counting on them. He seems like a BAD cold that just won’t go away.

Finally, to how my world is shrinking

I am determined that by the end of January, the time I spend browsing the news of the world will be down to less than half of what it is now. No, I am not going to stick my head in a hole and make believe that the world is Shangri-La, but I am going to try to daily limit my exposure to it.

Dreaming of the future is kinda crimping my existence in the present, and I don’t have much of that left.

I plan to spend more time trying to get involved here at my RetCom (retirement community) and getting to know my fellow residents on a deeper level. I don’t really know if this is even possible, but until I try it, I will never know. Since I was in the hermit mode for more than a decade, this will be a challenge, but I kind of think I am up to it.

Last year, I jumped on some New Year’s resolutions that were probably not accomplishable in a lifetime. This year I am going to take baby steps, after completing one it is off to the next. I have high hopes that, this time next year, I will look on 2023 as making me a happier, or at least a little less depressed person.