Another year has flown by and it’s the holiday season again. I consider
myself very fortunate to have many reasons to be happy, and I wish the
same for you in the coming year.
Americans are increasingly singing, “Make the world go away.” Folks are tired of competing with foreign companies, tired of dealing with immigrants and tired of foreign involvements.
“You have been my friend. That in itself is a tremendous thing. I wove my webs for you because I liked you. After all, what’s a life, anyway? We’re born, we live a little while, we die. A spider’s life can’t help being something of a mess with all this trapping and eating flies. By helping you, perhaps I was trying to lift up my life a trifle. Heaven knows anyone’s life can stand a little of that.” —Charlotte in “Charlotte’s Web”
I’m more likely to cuss and smash a spider than quote it, but had to make the exception with Charlotte. I think it’s my age that makes me appreciate what she’s saying, which, while (I hope) isn’t necessarily old by definition, does give me access to one of the true benefits of getting older—stupidity.
If there’s anything that you want to avoid under any circumstances, it’s making a satirical remark about how long it has been since your girlfriend last shaved her legs.
My wife still reads my column. In the early days of the Free Press she read it before it went to press for some reason—now she just reads it in the paper.
I was informed that last week’s column was a little heavy and, after reading it again myself, I agreed. After a while things build up and you have to let off a little steam.
Opinion 
