The first week of January usually means a return to ordinary time. Except these times are anything but ordinary for this country.
The U.S. has gone completely off the rails many times in its history. January 2026 feels different only because it’s gone bonkers in too many ways at the same time.
I revisited and updated my “death planning” documents today, in preparation for a visit to my lawyer. When you are somewhere between 80 and dead, this isn’t a depressing task. It’s oddly reassuring. I feel better knowing I’ve cleared the path a bit for the inevitable.