REFLECTIONS

 I like to lay in bed early in the morning and watch the reflection of the rising sun, which illuminates the trees and hills outside the window.

The sun rises over the woods in the east, which is located behind the house.

Back yard sunrise

My bedroom window faces west, and as the sun rises high above the forest it's golden light illuminates the scene from my bedroom window. These paltry photos from my cell phone were taken just as the sun was starting to rise, before the brilliant colors brightened.

The early morning fog is a frequent occurrence, which saturates the scene with a surrealistic glow. 

So why am I writing this?
At the end of every year I become reflective and philosophical - - pondering my past, remembering what was and what could have been, savoring the good times, wondering in astonishment how I ever survived the bad times.

As the years pile up behind me and the slim prospect of the future looks very grim, I find it almost unimaginable at how far I've fallen from grace. I never realized how incredibly easy it is to lose everything - - financially and physically.

Once he was a professional pianist in Hollywood and a freelance writer. He mingled with the rich and powerful, had a wealth of friends and lovers, experienced more incredible adventures than most people could ever dream of.

And now -
he exists utterly alone in abject poverty, plagued with bad health, far removed from friends and relatives, infested with mice, 'possums, raccoons, and snakes, immersed in squalor. The two cherished pianos are completely destroyed - ripped apart by insolent mice, ravaged by mold and unrelenting dampness. The antiques, the paintings, the jewelry and coin collections were haphazardly sold for a pittance. 
Acute desperation is an extremely ugly situation.

But enough of the pathos.

New Year's Eve is nearly here and it provides a surplus of fantastic memories. All of my past New Year's Eves were positive events - filled with an abundance of joy and optimism.

Unfortunately, this grim year will be the absolute worst. I'm here alone with no central heat, a car that won't start, and a flooded bathroom. The prospect of a "happy" new year is inconceivable. The serious problems that I have to face are nearly insurmountable - - and the obstacles that will incur are beyond numerous.

This year I decided to throw caution to the wind and try to have a good new year celebration. Despite my dire situation. I ordered a lot of special food items online - - certainly enough to sufficiently appease me.

As fate would have it - - wouldn't you know - - most of my orders have been delayed. I doubt if they will arrive in time for New Year's Eve.

Sorry for this grim and dismal post. I'm merely being realistic and revealing the truth.

I plan to write a much more positive post tomorrow (I'm sure that your excitement knows no bounds).

Until then, thanks for reading this, take care, count your blessings, and have a wonderful New Year's Eve.

                                 Jon

P.S.  I feel this post isn't worthy of comments.
I'll enable comments for my next post.