On the EDge: Welcome 2019 … please be kind

December 31, 2018 Utah Channel 3

OPINION – If you thought 2018 was a wild ride, hang on tightly because we are in for a doozy.

We’ve got a government shutdown to deal with, heals dug in deeply over hitting taxpayers with the bill to construct a wall along the southern border, the president’s threat of shutting down the border entirely, an economy bouncing around like a table tennis ball during a round of beer pong at a frat house.

Don’t worry, taxpayers will never get stuck with the tab for that ridiculous wall and the president has no authority to shut down the border with Mexico. The economy? That’s a serious concern, with most experts predicting a nasty recession.

We’ve got administration officials spinning through the revolving door at the White House, so look for more books, we’ve got former administration officials either locked up or waiting to go into custody and we are drawing closer to the results of the Mueller investigation.

That revolving door will continue to spin like a food processor in overdrive, where there’s smoke there’s fire so look for more jailbirds moving from the White House to the Big House and the Mueller investigation is sure to create some historic headlines.

And then there’s the house of horrors that The Beltway has become.

The anger that has overtaken Washington, D.C., is nothing compared with what will happen with a Democratic House led by Nancy Pelosi facing down the Republican Senate and president. The lines have already been drawn to a point where it can only go downhill from here.

But, all of that is a given, last year’s hangover.

We’ll pretty much need a hair of the dog today as we enter 2019 and, with what we already know, it’s probably a good idea to get a buzz going so mix yourself another Bloody Mary.

In fact, make it a double.

You see, there’s no sense of normalcy to fall back on.

Things are just as surprising in blissfully disconnected Utah where, usually, the most important thing on the political agenda is a ration of proposed laws to disguise the preparation and distribution of adult beverages.

But, even here, everything is a long shot and the only thing predictable is the unpredictability of our times. How else do you explain the predominantly Republican state of Utah kicking Mia Love to the curb and sending Democrat Ben McAdams to the House of Representatives in her place?

Utah also sent some fresh blood to the U.S. Senate where the youngster Mitt Romney will take a seat in a few days. Now, it may seem odd calling a 71-year-old a youngster, but not when you consider he is replacing Orrin Hatch, 84, who was the longest-serving Republican senator in history. Hatch was first elected in 1976 and finally gave it up when it appeared voters were ready to boot him as well.

At the state level, we could be setting up for a clash between voters and the theocracy that controls the Legislature.

It bloomed just two days after voters passed a measure legalizing cannabis for medicinal purposes, a bill put forward with the blessing of the church was passed and rubber stamped by the governor, nullifying the original proposition and replacing it with a measure that shows little compassion and no understanding of the need or process to dispense the herb without growing the bureaucracy that conservatives say they cannot tolerate.

But, hey, that was ultimately a church decision perpetuating the theocracy and a theocracy by any other name is still a theocracy. That it will continue to dictate to a puppet Legislature is one of the few things we can count on, at least until hell freezes over.

And, locally, one of the last things the St. George City Council did before shutting the door on 2018 was to give itself a hefty raise.

I’ve always thought of New Year’s Day as a time to ponder a fresh start, a reboot, of sorts, to try to fix the flaws, learn a few things, correct the path.

Now?

It’s a time to hunker down because so many chips have already been tossed onto the table and we must be diligent.

But we must remember that we still have lots to be thankful for with the dawning of a new year.

I’m eternally grateful for my wife, my family, my friends, the ages-old belief that we can do it, we can rise above it all.

And, let’s not forget the revelry of the New Year, the resolutions, the traditions – from watching the Rose Parade to the orgy of college football games and that black-eyed pea concoction that promises to bring us luck in this new year.

Let’s be happy about taking another lap around the sun.

Let’s celebrate our humanity, and that includes our differences.

Let’s argue our points vigorously, but with a civil tongue instead of the vitriol that has overtaken the discussion.

Let’s look for joy. There is some out there, you know. It may not relate to our particular politics or other affiliations, but it is still there if we allow it room.

We must be vigilant, of course, in keeping it all under control. It is our responsibility.

But, we also have a responsibility for our own small measures of joy, which for me means enjoying our partners, our families, our friends.

It also means looking forward to the new season of “Grace and Frankie” on Netflix; hoping we get to see New Orleans and Kansas City in the Super Bowl; that they find some cool, previously unreleased music by The Beatles or Tom Petty; something called the Super Blood Wolf Moon Eclipse in a few weeks, the arrival of spring, the warmth of summer, the beauty of fall and, of course, another batch of holidays at the end of the year to celebrate with family and friends.

So, even though we are in for one wild ride to be sure, we should find our peace, our happiness, our drive to make this rock a better place.

Happy New Year.

No bad days!

Ed Kociela is an opinion columnist for St. George News. The opinions stated in this article are his own and may not be representative of St. George News.

Email: edkociela.mx@gmail.com

Twitter: @STGnews, @EdKociela