The Bright, Shining Promise of 2023

Before getting to the broad optimism I feel about 2023, I always find it odd, on New Year’s, whenever I’m excitedly asked the following:

“Can you BELIEVE it’s 2023?”

Yes. Yes I can. You know why? Counting. That it was 2022 on December 31, and now, on January 1, it’s 2023, well, that is like the most believable thing there is.

Now! Had I instead woken up this morning, clutching an empty tequila bottle in one hand, and a half-eaten stick of butter covered in Nutella in the other, only to discover that it was suddenly…