“…if you forgive me ISIS.”

This is a sentence I wrote to a friend of mine Brent Olsen (a former pig farmer) who writes a fabulous column called Independently Speaking. I’ve known him for decades.

After reading his Christmas and New Year columns, I felt a lot more hopeful!

That’s what Brent does. He can make you feel hopeful. He talked about perspective!

He said he felt embarrassed about Donald Trump and he actually apologized for him.

While reading those words, I laughed out loud!

I decided a while back that I would no longer apologize for the actions of crazy Muslims. And Americans sure as heck don’t need to apologize for Trump!

Our actions are our own, we are not responsible even for what our parents or children do.

And that is a good thing.

Spent all day reminiscing over 2015.

It was such a difficult year, I’m really hoping this year will be better.

And as the years add up, they go faster and faster, whoosh!

Insha Allah this year I’ll have time to actually get some writing done. It will be interesting, if nothing else.

And I’m finding these themes are making their way into the words I’m writing.

But I do warn whoever might be reading this, that as the writing gets better, the blogging gets worse. It seems there’s only so many words I have, so much creative output allowed.

I spent New Year’s Eve finishing up a fascinating series on Netflix called Making a Murderer. I thought it would delve into the psychological evolution of a person inclining to crime. Instead it turned out to be an addictive documentary series about how this poor bloke in Wisconsin got railroaded by local police not once but twice, and it was surreal to think Steven Avery, who’s about my age, spent 28 out of his 53 years of life inside a prison for crimes he didn’t commit.

Basically a real life version of Les Miserables, where law enforcement kept hounding him.

Depressing.

But strangely satisfying at the same time.

I think we live in a time when the authorities have gotten drunk with power. They’re using the little man as their personal toilet to dump all over.

So sad.

God tests people according to what they can bear.

And on that cheerful note… I’m off.

Good writing in 2016!

And remember, just because the world is going to pot, doesn’t mean you have to be.