My December to Remember 3: Day Six
News: Kevin McCarthy to leave the House by the end of the year.
Bill Ackman demands Harvard, UPenn, MIT presidents resign after disastrous testimony on Capitol Hill about antisemitism on campus.
Biden says “it’s a bunch of lies” that he ever interacted with son Hunter’s business associates, despite records from House investigations suggesting otherwise.
In the months leading up to my eighth grade graduation, I was sad in a way I had never been sad before. Out of the twenty kids graduating, ten of us had been together since first grade. It was stressing me out to no end that I was no longer going to be in this comfortable spot and tight-knit circle. I loved all my classmates so much and considered them my family. It was the same year that Vitamin C “Graduation” song came out, so to say I was extra emotional would be an understatement. But the writing was on the wall, and I had to move on, no matter how much it pained me to do so. Time slows down for no one, and the clock was ticking.
Eventually I got over the veritable agony of having to leave everyone behind, even as some of us matriculated to the same high school. I tried to act like everything was the same, but it wasn’t. It couldn’t be. We had all moved on, and it was taking me a long time to accept that. But when I did, I realized this wasn’t the only ending I’d have to face in my life.
Endings don’t always need to signal bad things. It can be a relief when things expire, like not having to be in pain anymore or getting out of a crappy relationship. Still, I think it splits into two different veins: ones you do see coming, and ones you don’t. Some people out there are watching all the rats abandon ship and simply do the same. Others thought their gravy train was going to keep going unabated as no one powerful enough was challenging them. I don’t feel sorry for those people. I don’t feel sorry for anyone who lies to my face and cannot act like a real person. You can obfuscate the truth all you want. There will come a time where you cannot move the needle any further, and you have to face what’s waiting for you when the clock strikes midnight.
I’ve never been surprised by an ending before. I’ve seen all of them coming long before they arrived. I’m not sure if other people feel the same. All I can say is that it’d be a real shock thinking there’s people out there who won’t even entertain the idea that they could be blindsided too. I could never imagine going through life thinking every single conclusion I come to is the exact right one. And to be someone to implement policy around that is just bonkers.
Still, all good (and bad) things must come to an end. We’re seeing it happen in real time. I’ve said it a million times before here. It’s one thing to express yourself. It’s another thinking no one can ever stop you in your tracks. Because one day, if it’s meant to, it will all stop. It’s up to you to decide if you want to be the one in control of the self-destruct button or not.
