Almost Time

"May God bless and keep you always
May your wishes all come true
May you always do for others
And let others do for you" -- Bob Dylan

***

Life, as we know it, is made up of snapshots, some taken, some missed.

Three young friends, arms around each other, so fresh and naive. Grandchildren, then so small, at a park. Then later, almost grown up and smiling with their new friends. 

You. Alone at a bar on a beach at sunset, watching a sailboat taking off into the night. Standing in front of an audience with a microphone when it’s your turn to speak. Sitting after your class has left the classroom after a seminar. 

Why always alone? 

Not always, though. A documentary crew is situating you in the center of the newsroom. A visit from the makeup artist, fussing over you. It’s almost time to tell your story.

But what, exactly, is your story,?

A bartender hoping to be a journalist someday, mixing your drink. A homeless friend, showing you a photo of his daughters. A hospital bed and a night nurse leaning against the wall, telling you about her lost love. 

Then suddenly it’s you again, now gazing into someone’s eyes in a moment that if you could make it, would last forever.

Sometimes the mixed-up memory of moments like these come back as a flood that almost washes away the present. Then again, this too is a moment. As long as you draw a breath, all of these moments, and many more, will continue to show up.

These days, I imagine some may also be awake late at night, worrying about what’s to come. There’s still time. Taken and untaken.

HEADLINES:

• 3 charged in Iran-linked murder plots, with one targeting Donald Trump as revenge for killing Qassem Soleimani: DOJ (ABC)

• US charges Iranian man in plot to kill Donald Trump (Reuters)

• Susie Wiles: Who is Trump's new chief of staff? (BBC)

• What Project 2025 could mean for LGBTQ+ Americans (Axios)

• Why did so many voters swing to the right? (WP)

• Donald Trump, Reprised (New Yorker)

• Judge cancels court deadlines in Trump’s 2020 election case after his presidential win (AP)

• Trump allies say Project 2025 is on as Heritage affiliates vie for cabinet posts (Guardian)

• How Trump Won, and How Harris Lost (NYT)

• Pentagon anticipates major upheaval with Trump’s return to White House (WP)

• Trump criminal election case paused as special counsel Jack Smith weighs fate of prosecution (CNBC)

• Amsterdam bans protests after 'antisemitic squads' attack Israeli soccer fans (Reuters)

• Coop Scoop Don't Mourn, Organize -- The Total Wrap Up (Substack)

• Putin Lavishes Praise on Trump, Saying Russia Is ‘Open’ to Restored Ties (NYT)

• Over 10,000 people were ordered to evacuate from a wildfire northwest of Los Angeles as fierce seasonal winds blew flames into ranches and neighborhoods, destroying dozens of homes. (Reuters)

• Researchers find 22 pesticides may raise prostate cancer risk and death rates (Salon)

• Musk Is Counting on Trump Win to Boost SpaceX’s Mars Plans (Bloomberg)

• After election, racist texts nationwide threaten Black people with slavery (WP)

• Families Battle Tech Giants as Australia Pushes for an Under-16 Social-Media Ban (WSJ)

• Despite its impressive output, generative AI doesn’t have a coherent understanding of the world (MIT)

• Small Language Models Gaining Popularity While LLMs Still Go Strong (Forbes)

• God Wondering How Far He Could Throw Earth (The Onion)