Happy 2024, everyone! Though I’m more down with the lunar moon cycle and am Team Moon all the way: shoutout to Manidoo-Giizisoons, last night was the final nail in the coffin of 2023 in the Gregorian calendar.
By the way, shoutout to Dionysius Exiguus, inventor of the Christian calendar, for wanting to forever give props to Baby Jesus by officially demarcating time and noting the passing of every three hundred and sixty-five days by creating the calendar. It turns out Dionysius was shit at his job, and after much controversy and despite his mistakes on the project (LOL), the Catholic church let his work stand which allowed the believers of the Virgin birth story to throw the party of the year we now know as Christmas.
For two thousand and twenty-four years ago, families have gathered around tables with people they can barely stand, avoiding talk of politics, religion, and exes, and have raised their glasses to the Miracle Baby and the life he (allegedly) lived.
So.
Salute, Baby Jesus.
Salue, Dionysius Exiguus.
Salute, colonization and all of your weird hokey-pokey fear mongering leaders for continuing to keep the party going after all this time. Your existence confounds me but salute none the less. I may be a hardcore Anishinaabe Nationalist and I pound my chest all the time about decolonization and the harms of the church, but goddamn, do I like a turkey dinner (give me all the stuffing and all the ecoli), the smell of Christmas tree, and a stocking full of fresh socks and undies.
I hope you were surrounded by friends and family, good food, good stories, good music, and good vibes last night and throughout the holiday season.
These past few weeks have been a love tornado here. We highly recommend having your baby days before the madness of the holiday season begins. Somehow, Madeline and I managed to make Christmas happen for all of our kids and we got to spend time with most of the people we love so dearly. It came and went quickly and my god are we wiped out. There are a lot of naps on the agenda for the next week or two.
It was a quiet and cozy house here last night. We ordered pho from our favourite spot in Hamilton and watched the junk reality show we’re currently addicted to - Shahs of Sunset. We laid low with our two babies, Sam and Thomas. Madeline and I were in bed before midnight. It was perfect.
Five Things…
Who doesn't like a new years listicle? We’re all sheep to some degree, life is too hard to think for ourselves. We’ve been spoonfed our news, religion, and our socio-political and cultural beliefs by Tik Tok influencers and B-List celebrities over the past number of years to the degree to which we don’t think for ourselves anymore.
So let’s lean into that, shall we?
Here is my attempt to contribute to the death of society as we know it by sharing the way I’m choosing to live in 2024 by way of the listicle.
For Life In 2024
Stay present, be intentional, don’t avoid the hard shit.
Move your body, even when it rains.
Read more non-internet material.
More ceremony, more often.
Love more deeply, love is all there is.
For Work In 2024
Write more words, even when they suck.
Do what you can everyday.
Make time, it’s your job.
Anything can be funny, go toward the fear, that’s where the laughs are.
WWND? What would Nanibush do? See the world for its beauty, its hypocrisy, and its potential. Then tell the people about it. That’s your job.
For Love In 2024
Being thoughtful is love.
Express yourself, no matter what it is.
Make time, especially when you’re tired.
Cook together. Food is love.
Find the quiet spaces and fill them with your presence.
Growing up Native American, as a Spokane Indian from the rez, I always thought I stood apart from the United States in very profound cultural, theological, and philosophical ways, and I do, but when I traveled to Europe for the first time, I also realized that I'm very, very American and my American-ness is extremely obvious to people from other countries
Here's my favorite listicle:
a HAPPY person knows four things.
1/Life is full of suffering
2/You're not in control
3/You're not important
4/You're going to die
Plus two mottos for good measure:
It's better to do nothing than to waste your time.
Slow down, I'm in a hurry.
And a joke to wrap it up:
How many punk anarchists does it take to change a lightbulb?
PUNK ANARCHISTS CAN'T CHANGE ANYTHING!!!
Keep on keepin' on ❤️