Reflections by Konnie Enos

I’m sitting here reflecting on all that has transpired this year as it comes to a close. And my family has been pretty battered by it.

The oldest of Jerry’s brothers passed on and doctors told the youngest of his sisters that her days were numbered. She’s on borrowed time now. We also had three of our pets cross over the Rainbow Bridge. We still have dogs in the house, but they are all seniors. Two of them are 14, so the prospect of losing another one is ever-present.

Thankfully, we have had no major appliances go out this year. (I think we had enough of that in the previous couple of years.) We did, however, lose our car and have some computers die. We went from everyone in the house having their own laptop to four of the five of us sharing one. I was not at all happy when I was included in that number. Considering the age of my phone and tablet, and the fact neither one of them holds a charge for long, I have been planning to replace both all year. You know, just as soon as I could afford it. My laptop was the newest of the three and still worked great.

Royce would disagree with me because it had weird glitzes regularly, but it suddenly losing all ability to charge was unexpected. It might be a repairable issue, but I can’t afford that any more than I can be replacing the phone and tablet.

I suppose it is a plus that the guys in my family do have other tech and don’t get on this computer very often. There has yet to be any conflict when two or more of us needed the laptop at the same time. This, thankfully, means that I can still track our finances and write. Though, predictably, I’m yet again experiencing writer’s block. I’ve had no new ideas for stories nor felt like editing what I do have.

We have had some good things happen this year. The biggest one is that Tony not only found a job that pays well, but he seems to have found a vocation. I have long believed that not everyone needs a college degree because there are trades available with apprenticeships and on-the-job training. All with the plus of good pay. We’ve been telling our boys they should investigate trade schools.

Earlier this year Tony decided to join an electricians’ union. He is a general laborer now and has already applied for their apprenticeship. The last hurdle is an interview, but he’s made a good impression on a few of the journeymen he works with, and they’ve given him some good references. I don’t think it’s going to be a problem for him.

I will say that he is excited about the pay and benefits, but he also enjoys the work. It helps that the work isn’t monotonous. All the other jobs he had were doing the same things day in and day out. Another benefit is he can always go to the union hall and get another position for any reason.

Finally, my health has been lacking, especially in the last few months. I’ve been sick, or at least under the weather, about every couple of weeks for months now. Then this month it’s been the whole month.

Our family was hit with Covid which shut down most outside activity for a couple of weeks. We didn’t even attempt our weekly shopping trip. Then, par for the course, I got a secondary bacterial infection. And if that wasn’t enough, just as I was getting over both of those, I started experiencing yet another major health issue. As in getting an immediate appointment with my doctor.

I’m still in the “let’s run some tests” stage, but my doctor did say there were only two possible causes for my issue. Both would require surgery. In fact, the same surgery could solve both problems.

If that weren’t enough, Melinda is also facing a medical issue. She’s tried a couple of treatments already but at this point, it looks like she too will need surgery in the next few months.

I am sitting here hoping this next year is better for all of us.

I’m hoping Royce and Melinda find jobs or the means to complete their education. I’d like to find even a part-time job. Mostly because Jerry’s fixed income is not keeping up with inflation.

We’ve also discussed getting more pets. My big concern is that Xavier won’t like being the only dog in the house. Not that I expect Gunner or Ivan to die, but they are 14, and there is still the possibility of Melinda moving out.

Anyway, I hope 2024 is a better year for us.

Smile. Make the day a brighter day.